Recommend: Sand Sifter/Stirrer
 

I have a question or actually, I am looking for a recommendation. I have a 65ga aquarium hooked to a 30ga of sump/fuge. Lots and lots of live rock, mostly in the sump/fuge.

The sand bed in the display tank is only about 1 inch deep, just enough to cover the bottom. I have lots of flow through the tank, except in the odd area. The unavoidable nooks and crannies created by the rock.

I had an Orange Spotted Goby, did a marvelous job of turning over my sand bed. Sadly, there just wasn't enough sand bed for him. A friend of mine offered to take him but the shock of the move along with the severe starvation he didn't make it.

This leaves me wondering, what critter/critters can I put in my tank that will help me keep the sand bed stirred and turned? I have been doing it (stirring the sand, sickos) myself with a turkey baster, but I don't want to be doing this forever.

My tank obviously is not big enough for a Goby so anybody got some good suggestions?

As a side note, the tank only has a couple small SPS and LPS frags, GBTA, 2 Percs and a Lawnmower Blenny. Everybody is doing fine. There isn't anything terribly wrong with sand, except it turns a bit brown after a few days if I don't maintain it. My Goby kept it gleaming white and I miss that.

Thanks for the input.

jumping on this one.

Sand sifter starfish, certain snails, Tonga snails I believe are pretty good.

I really like the "orange spotted turbo snail" its hard to find any info on, but really cool.
they don't do alot like a goby, but they do help.

Chase they had some at BA on thursday, might want to check them out, in the a tank near the clown fish "lower shelf far right"

My tiger tail cucumber has been doing well for at least 3 years. Both the sand sifting sea star and fighting conch that I tried didn't last a year. However I don't feel that the cucumber does much to keep the sand bed looking clean. What I have found that helps is a healthy abundance of micro fauna living in the sand bed. Spaghetti worms and bristle worms both do an exceptional job... so be careful what you choose. Pick something that eats algae and detritus but leaves the bugs and bacteria alone (if such a thing exists). Or don't buy anything at all and just give it time to mature. Perhaps get some cups of sand from other reefers in your area to increase the diversity in your sand bed.

Great ideas, thanks a bunch.

I completely forgot about starsfish and cucumber's. I'll look into those here in the future. I might try a Tonga snail to see how that does to start with. Its not a lot of sand and its not out of control dirty so I will take these suggestions and do a bit of research.

Thanks again guys/gals.

I wouldn't recommend the sand sifting star. I had one and he lasted all of 3 days.

Have you considered adding an inch or two sand to what you already have? That way in a month or two you could add 3 or 4 nassarius snails. The sand bed will become a breeding ground for all kinds of critters the larvae and eggs of which feed your inverts, coral and small fish. You can turbo charge your pod population in your refugium by adding live phytoplankton. Later on you can add a small goby.
The one inch sand bed you have is cosmetic and wont sustain an active population of sand critters IMO.

i agree here. except my sand-sifting star lasted a long time. the only problem with them is the fact that they will eat absolutely everything in your sand bed. so no copepods, spaghetti worms, or any other goodies like that. my sand was kept clean but i think all of the little bugs are better

I have a 75 gallon tank with about an inch of sand as well. I find my 2 strawberry conchs do a fairly decent job. Fighting conchs would do well also. I have some nassarius snails including the orange spotted one and we never see them...so they may aerate the sand but they sure don't turn it over. I also read that the orange spotted one needs actual flesh to feed on or else it will die. Mine's been kicking around since Christmas, so we'll see.

I would stick with the goby and over feed the tank a bit....

I have had my orange spotted snails for over 2 years now, and they come out of the sand almost everday when I feed mysis. I have 7 in a 33 gal tank, had 8 and have only lost 1. they don't constantly turn the sand like a goby, but they do turn little spots everytime they come out to eat.

stick to the goby with only 1 inch sand they will do the job if you had a thiker sand bed then you could try all sorts of things even a sand dolor if you can get one. they work well always on the go. They do eat everything in the sand.

Bill

That's an excellent suggestion. I really haven't thought about it that way either. I wasn't planning on keeping a deep sand bed but the more the time goes by the more I am seeing the added benefit of it. I have a pretty good fuge, sustains lots of life there but that doesn't help too much for feeding a Goby when he has cleaned the sand bed out of everything.

I will add this to my list of things to try...

I'd avoid sandsifting starfish altogether. As others have posted, they eat all the life in the sand bed. Nassarius snails do a decent job. If you really want to see a sand bed get turned over, get a convict blenny. I have 4 in my 125 gallon with a deep sand bed, and they turn the sand over a lot. Take a look at some pictures of the adults. Other than their head, they are very eel like, but without the issues of eating small items, and being escape artists.

I would recommend a long wooden spoon. stir-stir-stir done:lol:

Plus you don't have to feed the spoon! The spoon can also be double as a salinity tester. sip-sip mm.. tastes about 1.026, perfecto!

I'd recommend Tonga Nessarius, Conchs and Ceriths. They've all done a great job for me. The Tonga's really dig down deep and stir it up.

not to mention you can dish out some discipline with that bad boy. cheap too