How do you keep your sand clean?

huskysglare1 · 07/06/2009, 02:27 AM

What's the secret to having clean sand bed?

I have a sand shifting goby. he does a great job at shifting sands, but he sure make a mess of it all. i can not put anything in the sand without having it covered up.

What's your secret?

ludnix · 07/06/2009, 04:07 AM

For me, the biggest thing is just reducing excess nutrients. The animals I have that like to play in the sand don't do very much overall for keeping it clean compared to just reducing my excess nutrients.

pammy · 07/06/2009, 04:24 AM

My sandbed is super clean right now. When I post pictures of my tank, I always have a couple people ask me how I keep my sandbed so clean. I posted a similar note around 6 months ago because I couldn't stand looking at my dirty sandbed. A few things I tried that did and did not work....

One thing that was suggested to me was a cucumber. I bought a Tiger Tail cucumber that was supposed to be safer than some of the other cucumbers. He was cleaning the parts of the sandbed he could reach, but he died, and luckily I caught his body and tossed it before the decomposing body caused havoc in the tank. I tried another Tiger Tail, and he also died, and I never found his body. Lucikly, nothing happened in the tank. I wouldn't try another cucumber.

Nacarrius snails - I love these guys. Very cool watching them emerge from the sandbed when you feed the tank. They're quick to find uneaten food on the sandbed and help keep the sandbed turned, but you'd need a lot of them to make a dent in the sandbed. I'll always keep these in my tank.

Sandsifting star - A LFS suggested one of these stars to help with my sandbed, so I bought one. Then after researching, which I should have done FIRST, I found that they starve to death unless you have a large tank, and they wipe out the life in the sandbed. Some recommend you have a tank of 100 gallons or larger to be able to keep one of these alive long term. My tank is only 53 gallons, but my sandsifting star has been alive for 18 months and seems to be thriving. He even survived a 3 day power-outage in my tank last winter during a big ice storm, and temps in my tank dropping to 58f degrees. Every one of my fish died during that power-outage, and all of my SPS frags died, but the sandsifting star survived. He does a great job keeping the sandbed turned.

The critter that does the best job at turning my sandbed, is my tiger pistol shrimp. He sure made a mess of the tank for the first couple of weeks, but after he turned the sandbed enough to where the detritus was all mixed into the water column and filtered out, he's no longer making a mess. He's constantly working and digging holes all over the tank by the rock work, which helps keep the sandbed clean. I didn't buy him for this reason, but he's turned out to be a great help keeping the sandbed clean.

Probably the thing I did that helped clean my dirty sandbed the most, was adding a powerhead. I added a power-head in the back of my tank, behind the rockwork, at the bottom near the sandbed, pointed to the water's surface. Before I added that power-head, I only had two powerheads at the top of the tank facing each other. The sandbed in the back of the tank behind the rock, was the dirtiest. This keeps most everything from settling to the sandbed.

Pam

A.VOID · 07/06/2009, 05:13 AM

Fighting conch

pammy · 07/06/2009, 05:31 AM

Oh yea, I have a conch too. Not sure what type it is. It is always poking around and eating on the sandbed. Not sure how much he helps, but another sandbed cleaner in my tank.
Pam

Quote:

Originally posted by A.VOID
Fighting conch

huskysglare1 · 07/06/2009, 12:13 PM

tiger pistol shrimps huh. hehe those are so awesome especially with a goby.

evogames · 07/06/2009, 01:38 PM

What I have found to be the best for my tanks is I keep a RDSB (Remote Deep Sand Bed). In my main display I keep just enough sand to cover the bottom and to make it look natural. Than once a month when i do my water change I siphon out the sand with the water. I drain some of the old tank water (just water) into my 18 gallon tub and I add the dirty sand in it and clean it. Using the tank water will help keep the beneficial bacteria still on the sand. After giving it a good wash I add it back in the Main Display. Thus giving the appearance of having nice clean sand all the time. Also helps get out any extra detritus that the current missed. This helps me keep my nitrates down. Also keeping Nassarius Snails and Conches do help as well.

boogers · 07/06/2009, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by evogames
What I have found to be the best for my tanks is I keep a RDSB (Remote Deep Sand Bed). In my main display I keep just enough sand to cover the bottom and to make it look natural. Than once a month when i do my water change I siphon out the sand with the water. I drain some of the old tank water (just water) into my 18 gallon tub and I add the dirty sand in it and clean it. Using the tank water will help keep the beneficial bacteria still on the sand. After giving it a good wash I add it back in the Main Display. Thus giving the appearance of having nice clean sand all the time. Also helps get out any extra detritus that the current missed. This helps me keep my nitrates down. Also keeping Nassarius Snails and Conches do help as well.

when you do this do you take out all the sand or just some of it? that is interesting. ive never heard of that before. i have a littlebit deeper of a sand bed and want to make it deeper but wonder if thta would work for me as well.

evogames · 07/06/2009, 02:12 PM

I take out the sand that I can get too. The sand under the rocks, things like that, I have a power head I use for that. When I do the water change Ill plug in the little power head and blow most of the dirty sand forward to get it out and clean it. The RDSB works for me also because I personally don't like the look of 3 to 4"s of sand on my main display.

GillCrazy · 07/06/2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pammy

Nacarrius snails - I love these guys. Very cool watching them emerge from the sandbed when you feed the tank. They're quick to find uneaten food on the sandbed and help keep the sandbed turned, but you'd need a lot of them to make a dent in the sandbed. I'll always keep these in my tank.

Probably the thing I did that helped clean my dirty sandbed the most, was adding a powerhead. I added a power-head in the back of my tank, behind the rockwork, at the bottom near the sandbed, pointed to the water's surface. Before I added that power-head, I only had two powerheads at the top of the tank facing each other. The sandbed in the back of the tank behind the rock, was the dirtiest. This keeps most everything from settling to the sandbed.

Pam

Good info and I agree.

I bought 2 very large snails and they keep pretty much anything remotely edible off the sand bed.

Johnny C · 07/06/2009, 08:12 PM

Tiger-Tail Cucumber, hands down!

Toddrtrex · 07/06/2009, 08:55 PM

Since I have shallow sandbeds in each of my tanks, I just gravel vac them with each weekly water change. Though in my 75 my Clarkii pair keeps digging which helps keep the sandbed clean while annoying the heck out of me.

reindan · 07/06/2009, 09:46 PM

I've had my tiger tail cucumber for over a year and it's done a great job of keeping the sand clean. Dirty in and clean out. My only complaint is that he moves too much sand from where I want it to where I don't. I also would agree that nassarius snails are great, and you do need alot of them.

iamwhatiam52 · 07/06/2009, 09:47 PM

I don't.

07/06/2009, 02:27 AM	#1
huskysglare1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Jose Posts: 1,406	How do you keep your sand clean? What's the secret to having clean sand bed? I have a sand shifting goby. he does a great job at shifting sands, but he sure make a mess of it all. i can not put anything in the sand without having it covered up. What's your secret? __________________ Since Jan 2008 Current system: 170G+50g Sump/Bio-Pellet Reactor. 2x400w Radium+2x110w VHO. 2 x HYDRO Magnum 8 + 1xMP60w (removed 2 x Koralia 4). SWC 300A Cone (had SWC 200 w/ Red Demon); it's AWESOME! BRS DOSER(Cal, Alk, and Mag). Current Tank Info: 170g+50g sump

07/06/2009, 04:07 AM	#2
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	For me, the biggest thing is just reducing excess nutrients. The animals I have that like to play in the sand don't do very much overall for keeping it clean compared to just reducing my excess nutrients. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

07/06/2009, 04:24 AM	#3
pammy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 768	My sandbed is super clean right now. When I post pictures of my tank, I always have a couple people ask me how I keep my sandbed so clean. I posted a similar note around 6 months ago because I couldn't stand looking at my dirty sandbed. A few things I tried that did and did not work.... One thing that was suggested to me was a cucumber. I bought a Tiger Tail cucumber that was supposed to be safer than some of the other cucumbers. He was cleaning the parts of the sandbed he could reach, but he died, and luckily I caught his body and tossed it before the decomposing body caused havoc in the tank. I tried another Tiger Tail, and he also died, and I never found his body. Lucikly, nothing happened in the tank. I wouldn't try another cucumber. Nacarrius snails - I love these guys. Very cool watching them emerge from the sandbed when you feed the tank. They're quick to find uneaten food on the sandbed and help keep the sandbed turned, but you'd need a lot of them to make a dent in the sandbed. I'll always keep these in my tank. Sandsifting star - A LFS suggested one of these stars to help with my sandbed, so I bought one. Then after researching, which I should have done FIRST, I found that they starve to death unless you have a large tank, and they wipe out the life in the sandbed. Some recommend you have a tank of 100 gallons or larger to be able to keep one of these alive long term. My tank is only 53 gallons, but my sandsifting star has been alive for 18 months and seems to be thriving. He even survived a 3 day power-outage in my tank last winter during a big ice storm, and temps in my tank dropping to 58f degrees. Every one of my fish died during that power-outage, and all of my SPS frags died, but the sandsifting star survived. He does a great job keeping the sandbed turned. The critter that does the best job at turning my sandbed, is my tiger pistol shrimp. He sure made a mess of the tank for the first couple of weeks, but after he turned the sandbed enough to where the detritus was all mixed into the water column and filtered out, he's no longer making a mess. He's constantly working and digging holes all over the tank by the rock work, which helps keep the sandbed clean. I didn't buy him for this reason, but he's turned out to be a great help keeping the sandbed clean. Probably the thing I did that helped clean my dirty sandbed the most, was adding a powerhead. I added a power-head in the back of my tank, behind the rockwork, at the bottom near the sandbed, pointed to the water's surface. Before I added that power-head, I only had two powerheads at the top of the tank facing each other. The sandbed in the back of the tank behind the rock, was the dirtiest. This keeps most everything from settling to the sandbed. Pam __________________ Pair of Ocellaris Clowns Flame Hawkfish Pygmy Angel Splendid Goby + Tiger Pistol Shrimp Current Tank Info: 53 Gallon Elos System 80 (31.5" x 19.5" x 19.5"), Elos NS500 Skimmer, Elos Planet 150w MH / 4 24w T5 Combo Light, CLICK on Pammy on the Left and then "VISIT Pammy's Homepage" to see my tank.

07/06/2009, 12:13 PM	#6
huskysglare1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: San Jose Posts: 1,406	tiger pistol shrimps huh. hehe those are so awesome especially with a goby. __________________ Since Jan 2008 Current system: 170G+50g Sump/Bio-Pellet Reactor. 2x400w Radium+2x110w VHO. 2 x HYDRO Magnum 8 + 1xMP60w (removed 2 x Koralia 4). SWC 300A Cone (had SWC 200 w/ Red Demon); it's AWESOME! BRS DOSER(Cal, Alk, and Mag). Current Tank Info: 170g+50g sump

07/06/2009, 08:12 PM	#11
Johnny C Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 4,140	Tiger-Tail Cucumber, hands down! __________________ "...the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonders forever" -Jacques Cousteau

07/06/2009, 05:13 AM	#4
A.VOID Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Columbus Posts: 985	Fighting conch

07/06/2009, 01:38 PM	#7
evogames Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: CA Posts: 165	What I have found to be the best for my tanks is I keep a RDSB (Remote Deep Sand Bed). In my main display I keep just enough sand to cover the bottom and to make it look natural. Than once a month when i do my water change I siphon out the sand with the water. I drain some of the old tank water (just water) into my 18 gallon tub and I add the dirty sand in it and clean it. Using the tank water will help keep the beneficial bacteria still on the sand. After giving it a good wash I add it back in the Main Display. Thus giving the appearance of having nice clean sand all the time. Also helps get out any extra detritus that the current missed. This helps me keep my nitrates down. Also keeping Nassarius Snails and Conches do help as well.

07/06/2009, 02:12 PM	#9
evogames Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: CA Posts: 165	I take out the sand that I can get too. The sand under the rocks, things like that, I have a power head I use for that. When I do the water change Ill plug in the little power head and blow most of the dirty sand forward to get it out and clean it. The RDSB works for me also because I personally don't like the look of 3 to 4"s of sand on my main display.

07/06/2009, 08:55 PM	#12
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	Since I have shallow sandbeds in each of my tanks, I just gravel vac them with each weekly water change. Though in my 75 my Clarkii pair keeps digging which helps keep the sandbed clean while annoying the heck out of me. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

07/06/2009, 09:46 PM	#13
reindan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chico, California Posts: 70	I've had my tiger tail cucumber for over a year and it's done a great job of keeping the sand clean. Dirty in and clean out. My only complaint is that he moves too much sand from where I want it to where I don't. I also would agree that nassarius snails are great, and you do need alot of them.

07/06/2009, 09:47 PM	#14
iamwhatiam52 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Freeport, NY Posts: 1,466	I don't. __________________ Occupation: Need one. Will work for salt. Current Tank Info: 180 mixed up reef started April 2005. 4 small tanks on same sump.