The best sand sifters ?
- Thread starter outlaw69
- Start date
tank a holic
Active Member
cerith snails and fighting conch are good sandsifters, also I think some wrasses sand sift but not sure which ones
need a big tank for conch's though
need a big tank for conch's though
ophiura
Active Member
Some sand sifters EAT the beneficial organisms in a sand bed and cause further issues, IMO...sand sifter stars, sand sifter gobies.
Some sand sifters eat detritus and are good...many snails, sand sifter cucumbers, brittlestars.
If you are trying to correct an problem with brown slime algae or diatoms, these do nothing other than hide what can be a serious problem brewing. adding more animals does not help, and can cause further issues.
Some of these animals may well starve, such as sand sifter stars, causing further issues as well.
While IMO sand sifting snails are well placed in most systems, others require particular particle sizes (sand sifting cucumbers).
This is a complicated question, and it is important to know what you are trying to accomplish. In a reef tank, I would be unlikely to have a sand sifting goby...and certainly not if you are just trying to resolve some sort of algae problem.
So it is absolutely critical to understand what you are trying to do to assess what you need to do or add.
If just a "healthy" sand bed, then you need sand sifter snails.
But since you are not having luck with the goby (I don't know what this means), then it is likely something more. In this case it is very unlikely that a fish will resolve your problem. Many will simply add to it.
Nuisance algae or detritus problems on sand are a combination of factors that need to be addressed, usually with maintenance and equipment before adding more animals.
Some sand sifters eat detritus and are good...many snails, sand sifter cucumbers, brittlestars.
If you are trying to correct an problem with brown slime algae or diatoms, these do nothing other than hide what can be a serious problem brewing. adding more animals does not help, and can cause further issues.
Some of these animals may well starve, such as sand sifter stars, causing further issues as well.
While IMO sand sifting snails are well placed in most systems, others require particular particle sizes (sand sifting cucumbers).
This is a complicated question, and it is important to know what you are trying to accomplish. In a reef tank, I would be unlikely to have a sand sifting goby...and certainly not if you are just trying to resolve some sort of algae problem.
So it is absolutely critical to understand what you are trying to do to assess what you need to do or add.
If just a "healthy" sand bed, then you need sand sifter snails.
But since you are not having luck with the goby (I don't know what this means), then it is likely something more. In this case it is very unlikely that a fish will resolve your problem. Many will simply add to it.
Nuisance algae or detritus problems on sand are a combination of factors that need to be addressed, usually with maintenance and equipment before adding more animals.
outlaw69
New Member
I am trying to keep alge from growing on the sand
By not having any luck with gobies I mean that they get skinny and die after a month or so my nitrates are 0 and everything else in the tank is healthy as far as I can tell
I recently changed bulbs after two years I had a green sponge growing before I changed and afterwards it turned white so I asume it diedI was told by a hagen rep that the alge growth was from old bulbs and that when I replaced them I should cut back the time the lights are on to about 4 hrs a day and work my way back up or the alge problem would not go away i have one sand conch in the tank I think only see it every now and then
By not having any luck with gobies I mean that they get skinny and die after a month or so my nitrates are 0 and everything else in the tank is healthy as far as I can tell
I recently changed bulbs after two years I had a green sponge growing before I changed and afterwards it turned white so I asume it diedI was told by a hagen rep that the alge growth was from old bulbs and that when I replaced them I should cut back the time the lights are on to about 4 hrs a day and work my way back up or the alge problem would not go away i have one sand conch in the tank I think only see it every now and then
ophiura
Active Member
The sand gobies may starve after consuming a lot of the beneficial critters in the sand bed. It is not uncommon.
can you please tell us about your tank:
size
all parameters
maintenance - water changes, filter changes, water source
equipment - filter, powerheads, skimmer, etc
fish
feeding schedule
other clean up crew
He was right on the lighting, old bulbs can definitely contribute to issues, but so can other things. Usually old bulbs alone are not the whole story with algae issues, just a chapter
.
I would definitely not add any additional fish at this time.
can you please tell us about your tank:
size
all parameters
maintenance - water changes, filter changes, water source
equipment - filter, powerheads, skimmer, etc
fish
feeding schedule
other clean up crew
He was right on the lighting, old bulbs can definitely contribute to issues, but so can other things. Usually old bulbs alone are not the whole story with algae issues, just a chapter
. I would definitely not add any additional fish at this time.
outlaw69
New Member
75 gal going on 3 yrs
350 magnum canister filter cleaned 2 months ago going to clean later today
Aqua medic turbo floater protien scimmer
single bio wheel
one power head
one sand conch, pencil urchin,15 small hermit crabs
suspinsion feeder sea cucumber
yellow tang
scarlet hawk
alge blenny
damsel
coral beauty
valitini puffer
20% two weeks ago
maybe I did not forget anyone or thing
feed every other day
350 magnum canister filter cleaned 2 months ago going to clean later today
Aqua medic turbo floater protien scimmer
single bio wheel
one power head
one sand conch, pencil urchin,15 small hermit crabs
suspinsion feeder sea cucumber
yellow tang
scarlet hawk
alge blenny
damsel
coral beauty
valitini puffer
20% two weeks ago
maybe I did not forget anyone or thing
feed every other day
tank a holic
Active Member
I'm gonna say you have deadspots, only one power head?
what kind is it, and how big, you should have upwards of 1500 gph turnover
what kind is it, and how big, you should have upwards of 1500 gph turnover