Look for some decent cleaners for the top of my sand bed. I have about 25-30 nas snails that don't seem to do a good job mixing my sand bed and leaving dietrus on the top layer. Think about getting maybe a Sea Cucumber or Sand Shifting star. Sand bed is about 5-6 inches in depth. Thanks for your input :)
Sand Cleaners
- Thread starter Jkraft136
- Start date
Altohombre
The Tennis Pro Reefer
thats a lot of sand. Dunno if many will do the trick like you may want them too. How big are your nass snails? Some are tiny and some are large.
acerhigh
just a reefer
IMO I don't think any cleaners or sand sifters do a good enough job to completely keep the detritus off the top of the sand bed... if you have a lot of it settling on the sand bed then maybe your flow isn't good enough near the bottom of the tank? Or it's possible the tank is getting overfed?
sand sifting stars have always been a favorite of mine..... but you really need a well established tank to keep them.
sand sifting stars have always been a favorite of mine..... but you really need a well established tank to keep them.
Altohombre
The Tennis Pro Reefer
pea sized ones don't really do much, there are are nass snails that are about an inch long and they tend to move a lot more sand due to their size.
bobby
I like to do bad things.
Jumbo nas and a conch or two would help. The conches did alot more than the nas though. One thing to buy that will for sure work is a diamond goby or yellow headed sleeper goby. They sift through all the sand and keep it very clean only problem with them is they throw sand everywhere and will cover coral with sand if they're on the sand bed.
ltljoker
The Great Tang Herder
i have a mated pair of yellow headed sleepers they do an awsome job moving my sand. And i dont have to much of a problem with them covering my corals with sand. They will turn the sand over for you if thats what your looking for.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Conchs are a good choice. I also second the opinion to get the larger nassarius snails. They make a big difference.
Sea cucumbers can die in the sandbed and rot in your tank. But they are a better choice than sandsifting stars, which have a low survival rate unless they are kept in very mature, large tanks.
Sea cucumbers can die in the sandbed and rot in your tank. But they are a better choice than sandsifting stars, which have a low survival rate unless they are kept in very mature, large tanks.
newreefinsc
Reefing newb
I have a diamond gobie that does a great job sifting my tank. I'm sure some will say that they may not get enough nourishment, but I've had mine for 6 months, and he is fat and happy. I love how natural the floor looks. I only wonder if he sifts too much.
1geo
Reefing newb
Anyone have a comment about Olive Snails moving sand?
bobby
I like to do bad things.
Olive snails are not reef safe.
1geo
Reefing newb
Aqua Connection sells olive snails and here is what they have to say about them:
"The Olive Cowry has a long, smooth shell that can vary in color from olive color to a darker brown. They usually stay buried in the substrate where they eat leftover food and detritus, helping to keep the substrate clean and stirred.It lives in shallow water among stony corals and rocks and has a peaceful temperament. The Olive Cowry is Reef Compatible, safe with all reef tank specimens." The Olive Cowry is of the family Olividae There is an endless variety of species and subspecies. They are not cheap. Aqua Connections charges $7.99 ea. For a picture go to http://www.aquacon.com/snails.html and go to the end of the page. If anyone knows of a cheaper source, please let me know. 1geo
"The Olive Cowry has a long, smooth shell that can vary in color from olive color to a darker brown. They usually stay buried in the substrate where they eat leftover food and detritus, helping to keep the substrate clean and stirred.It lives in shallow water among stony corals and rocks and has a peaceful temperament. The Olive Cowry is Reef Compatible, safe with all reef tank specimens." The Olive Cowry is of the family Olividae There is an endless variety of species and subspecies. They are not cheap. Aqua Connections charges $7.99 ea. For a picture go to http://www.aquacon.com/snails.html and go to the end of the page. If anyone knows of a cheaper source, please let me know. 1geo
bobby
I like to do bad things.
They don't eat coral but on this site they're rated not reef safe because they predate on sand infauna. Scroll down this link till you see the not reef safe and look in that section.http://www.chucksaddiction.com/Hitchsnails.html
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Olive snails are also known to eat clams. That's the main reason why I'd heard they're not reef safe.
