Cleaning the Substrate

dustin323 · 10/22/2006, 06:33 PM

Hey all, I have me a 55 gallon tank. It finished cycling about a week or two ago. I have me a cleaner crew; 10 nassarius snails, 10 astrea snails, 10 Hawian zebra hermits, 20 blue leg dwarf hermits, 3 emerald crabs, one porcelain crab, & one jumbo turbo snail. I also have one tomato clown.

My sand bed is real dirty on the top. Basically it is just stuff off from my live rock. I had ccyled my tank with un-cured rock & there was lots of die off. It is a bunch of brown debris. I siphoned some off the bottom. It got some, but it was hard to get a lot. What else can I do to get it clean? Is there any invert that will eat the debris?

mfinn · 10/22/2006, 06:41 PM

You should use something like a gravel vac to get as much as you can.
If it is "really" cycled, 0am, 0nitite, then look into getting a sea cucumber. I have one in my tank that does a good job.

dustin323 · 10/22/2006, 09:00 PM

Ok cool I was going to try vacuming some more out. Yes it is "really" cycled, in fact I was thinking of a sea cucumber.
Thanks.

drummereef · 10/22/2006, 09:02 PM

Go for a tigertail or a black cuke. Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to cucumbers. I almost had a tragedy in my tank with my tigertail - so keep an eye on him. Good luck!

dustin323 · 10/22/2006, 09:30 PM

Ok cool I see that some are very difficult to keep & some release toxins. Might have to think about them. For now I'll just try to see how clean it will come the next time I do a water change & vacum some out.

mfinn · 10/22/2006, 09:34 PM

I have had a black bumpy cuke in my tank for about 7 years.
Works great.

10/22/2006, 06:33 PM	#1
dustin323 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: USA Posts: 389	Cleaning the Substrate Hey all, I have me a 55 gallon tank. It finished cycling about a week or two ago. I have me a cleaner crew; 10 nassarius snails, 10 astrea snails, 10 Hawian zebra hermits, 20 blue leg dwarf hermits, 3 emerald crabs, one porcelain crab, & one jumbo turbo snail. I also have one tomato clown. My sand bed is real dirty on the top. Basically it is just stuff off from my live rock. I had ccyled my tank with un-cured rock & there was lots of die off. It is a bunch of brown debris. I siphoned some off the bottom. It got some, but it was hard to get a lot. What else can I do to get it clean? Is there any invert that will eat the debris?

10/22/2006, 06:41 PM	#2
mfinn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Olympia. WA. Posts: 8,648	You should use something like a gravel vac to get as much as you can. If it is "really" cycled, 0am, 0nitite, then look into getting a sea cucumber. I have one in my tank that does a good job. __________________ 240 gallon soft coral tank 50 gallon lps tank

10/22/2006, 09:02 PM	#4
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Go for a tigertail or a black cuke. Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to cucumbers. I almost had a tragedy in my tank with my tigertail - so keep an eye on him. Good luck! __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

10/22/2006, 09:34 PM	#6
mfinn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Olympia. WA. Posts: 8,648	I have had a black bumpy cuke in my tank for about 7 years. Works great. __________________ 240 gallon soft coral tank 50 gallon lps tank

10/22/2006, 09:00 PM	#3
dustin323 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: USA Posts: 389	Ok cool I was going to try vacuming some more out. Yes it is "really" cycled, in fact I was thinking of a sea cucumber. Thanks.

10/22/2006, 09:30 PM	#5
dustin323 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: USA Posts: 389	Ok cool I see that some are very difficult to keep & some release toxins. Might have to think about them. For now I'll just try to see how clean it will come the next time I do a water change & vacum some out.