sand bed cleaners

monti1 · 12/25/2007, 12:58 PM

What are you guys using as clean up for your sand beds? I am pretty sure that sand sifting stars are notorious for completely depleting life in a bed. I daeff dont want that but would like some sort of cleaner. What do you recomend?

supervdl · 12/25/2007, 01:00 PM

what about a sea cucumber?

jlt23 · 12/25/2007, 01:02 PM

I have a tiger tail sea cucumber, a twin spot goby, and a dragon goby. Nice and clean. My gobies eat everything I feed the tank so they are not starving.

monti1 · 12/25/2007, 01:28 PM

I was thinking about a few gobies. IF a cuke dies in the tank will it wipe out the whole tank or is that just a sea apple?

reefCrawler · 12/25/2007, 01:48 PM

find diamond goby, I only have one in my 150G but it does a tremondous job, this hard worker just keep on shifting sand all the time, it also eat all the leftover on sand after feeding.

cute little fin fellow too.

Tajjo · 12/25/2007, 02:25 PM

What about Nassarius snails. Anybody have any coments on them?

supervdl · 12/25/2007, 03:01 PM

The Nassarius snails do the job, but I think the get fewer and fewer over time. Not sure how the survival rate is.

LobsterOfJustice · 12/25/2007, 04:09 PM

I like tiger tail cucumbers. I would only reccomend them in a tank 75g and up. The tiger-tails will not nuke your tank if they die, but some other kinds might. Gobies are pretty good as well, but only some kinds sift, and some sift too much, so do some research on them. Nassarius and cerith snails help stir the sandbed, but for them to actually do a signifigant amount of sifting you would need to have way too many IMO.

llorence · 12/25/2007, 06:29 PM

I have two sea cucumbers in my 115 and they do a pretty good job of keeping the sand clean.

12/25/2007, 12:58 PM	#1
monti1 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 352	sand bed cleaners What are you guys using as clean up for your sand beds? I am pretty sure that sand sifting stars are notorious for completely depleting life in a bed. I daeff dont want that but would like some sort of cleaner. What do you recomend?

12/25/2007, 01:00 PM	#2
supervdl Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NE PA Posts: 1,315	what about a sea cucumber? __________________ My tank thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1167897 Current Tank Info: 135 gal mixed reef with Radions and Zeovit; 210 gal SPS reef being set up

12/25/2007, 02:25 PM	#6
Tajjo Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Denver Posts: 1,039	What about Nassarius snails. Anybody have any coments on them? __________________ Expect the worst and hope for the best! Current Tank Info: 75 gal display, 40 breeder sump. 1 Tunze 6105, 1 Maxi Jet mod, octopuss nw 200, 618 GEO calcium reactor, 2 250w mh icecap pendant with icecap ballast, pheonix bulbs, with 4 t5 VHO actinic

12/25/2007, 03:01 PM	#7
supervdl Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NE PA Posts: 1,315	The Nassarius snails do the job, but I think the get fewer and fewer over time. Not sure how the survival rate is. __________________ My tank thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1167897 Current Tank Info: 135 gal mixed reef with Radions and Zeovit; 210 gal SPS reef being set up

12/25/2007, 04:09 PM	#8
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	I like tiger tail cucumbers. I would only reccomend them in a tank 75g and up. The tiger-tails will not nuke your tank if they die, but some other kinds might. Gobies are pretty good as well, but only some kinds sift, and some sift too much, so do some research on them. Nassarius and cerith snails help stir the sandbed, but for them to actually do a signifigant amount of sifting you would need to have way too many IMO. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

12/25/2007, 01:02 PM	#3
jlt23 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tustin, CA Posts: 712	I have a tiger tail sea cucumber, a twin spot goby, and a dragon goby. Nice and clean. My gobies eat everything I feed the tank so they are not starving.

12/25/2007, 01:28 PM	#4
monti1 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 352	I was thinking about a few gobies. IF a cuke dies in the tank will it wipe out the whole tank or is that just a sea apple?

12/25/2007, 01:48 PM	#5
reefCrawler Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 498	find diamond goby, I only have one in my 150G but it does a tremondous job, this hard worker just keep on shifting sand all the time, it also eat all the leftover on sand after feeding. cute little fin fellow too.

12/25/2007, 06:29 PM	#9
llorence Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Newark, Oh Posts: 72	I have two sea cucumbers in my 115 and they do a pretty good job of keeping the sand clean.