CUC for sand?

Gdbyrd

Gdbyrd

life's a beach
I'm seeing a ton of literal feces in my sandbed...and I only have my two clowns. What do you guys recommend for cleaning up that topsurface layer of crap?

As for right now I have
10 Hermits
10 Ceriths
1 little turbo snail
1 astrea

The ceriths come out everytime I feed, but I never see them in the corner by the poo...

Should I look into getting a small starfish? My sandbed area is very small..20x18 inches. And my nitrates are still a little high, around 10-15ish..(doing weekly 10% changes, was high from inital cycle with tap water)
 
I would not recommend sand sifting stars. They don't eat poop and detritus. They eat the live microfauna that lives in your sandbed. And they eat it quickly, and then starve to death.

Serpent and brittle stars will eat the crap off your sandbed. I'd recommend a pair of them for a tank your size.
 
A mixup on my part. I actually have 10 nassarius snails. Not 10 ceriths. I believe I have 1 cerith. Got mixed up on the names.

Should I buy some more ceriths?
 
Get some more cerith snails,a brittle and a serpent star.But stay away from the green brittles.They can,will,and do catch fish and eat em.
 
yote said:
Get some more cerith snails,a brittle and a serpent star.But stay away from the green brittles.They can,will,and do catch fish and eat em.
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That would be very interesting to see, it'd suck, but still cool to see.

My hermits are small. Maybe 1/2-1" max.

My cerith and astrea snails are funny. I had the cerith sitting in the sand for 5 days, it didn't move at all. I thought for sure it was dead, pulled it out twice to smell it. I picked it up and put it on the rock and it's been moving like crazy. The astrea has been staying in the same place for a week now, but it's still well attached.

^Is that normal behavior?
 
I think so. Snails are weird like that. Sometimes you think they're dead and then they're moving around like crazy. It's like they go to sleep for days.
 
Gdbyrd said:
That would be very interesting to see, it'd suck, but still cool to see.
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I came home many years ago excited about my new addition, beautiful $60 gold bar maroon clown, acclimated her and put her into the tank, she swam into a cave and in that second my green serpent star dropped on top of my clown it took seconds, we grabbed the star fish and it was already to late. :shock:
 
winyfrog said:
I came home many years ago excited about my new addition, beautiful $60 gold bar maroon clown, acclimated her and put her into the tank, she swam into a cave and in that second my green serpent star dropped on top of my clown it took seconds, we grabbed the star fish and it was already to late. :shock:
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That sucks! I'd be pissed...

I just got off the phone with my LFS. He said that they do NOT carry serpent or brittle stars because they are predatory. He recommended sand sifting stars and a goby to stir up the substrate and just lots of siphoning.

So how true is that? I'll probably have to get this from San antonio if I do go this route or order it.
 
Your tank is too small for a sand sifting star it will starve. A goby would be fine, just make sure it is eating before you purchase it. Nassarius snails will help keep your sand stirred up as well.

I would also avoid vacuuming. What type of filtration do you have?
 
winyfrog said:
Your tank is too small for a sand sifting star it will starve. A goby would be fine, just make sure it is eating before you purchase it. Nassarius snails will help keep your sand stirred up as well.

I would also avoid vacuuming. What type of filtration do you have?
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I had heard that about the stars, I wouldn't put them in my tank either. I have around 70-100 lbs of live rock, a HOB skimmer, and about a 95x turn over rate. I have 10 Nassarius snails already(don't want to add much more becaues the tank is relatively new..just been stocked since early July).
 
On your livestock list it says you have no fish? Basicly just a CUC right now? If so where is all this "crap" coming from? Are you feeding your CUC too much, maybe?
 
Gdbyrd said:
Strained krill/seamasters mix. I kinda alternate from day to day. I'm actually worried I'm under feeding. I use two little cubes over 5-7 days.
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I'm not familiar with that brand so I am unsure how big a cube is. I feed my 2 clowns and one goby about 1/8 tsp of frozen or about 6 pellets 3 times a week.

remember a hungry fish is a healthy fish, it can be worse for your aquarium if you are over feeding. I would probably cut back on their feeding.
 

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