best fish or invert for sand cleaning

[Montaquelaveist]

Good morning all i want to get something to help keep the sand in my reef tank clean, something that will stir the sand up all day everyday lol, any suggestions I've done the Diamond goby but he didn't do a good job. Is there anything else that would do a good job i like nice white sand, and yes I'm working on my water parms. but in the interim a little help never hurt

 

[bkstang]

I'm thinking about Sand Sifting Starfish and Nassarius Snails.

 

[marrone]

Try a sea cucumber or a conch . There are quite a bit of sand sifting gobies but you need to be careful as they can get sand all over you corals and such. I like the Golden Head Gobies. Also, if you do go with the sand sifting gobies make sure that your rock are anchored down to the bottom of the tank real good, as by moving around the sand it could cause a collapsed.

 

[Loose tenticle]

If the tank is big enough a sea slug, a tiger conch would leave the rocks super clean, sand i would say a sand sifting star fish

 

[BioMan]

I'll never get another fish for cleaning my sandbed. They, in my experience, have their spots the go to and excavate wherever they want. If my rocks weren't so heavy I bet I would've had a landslide!

 

[Branespikin]

I had a Diamondback Goby. He was stirring up the sandbed all day. Thats the reason i got rid of him. I also have a sand sifting starfish. Does a great job

 

[Vwcrakerjack]

Nassi snails work great. I have a small conch also and between the 3 snails and the conch my sand is constantly being stirred up.

 

[zenfish]

what size tank, fish mates, sand level, etc.?

 

[Vwcrakerjack]

I have a 50g cube. Rocks are big but there's space around them for snails to navigate around. Sand bed varies from about 1-1/2-2-1/2" deep

 

[zenfish]

fish/tank mates? do you have a top? some of they jump.

like the sleeper gobies, diamond, blue stripe...

 

[zenfish]

I like the sand depth for keeping gobies, make sure rocks are secure.

 

[Montaquelaveist]

what size tank, fish mates, sand level, etc.?

i have a 220 reef yes a top and egg crate towards the back of the tank
Sand level is pretty low about 1"
fish mates varies from tangs, emperor angel, bi color goby, ***. chromic and damsels etc

 

[Montaquelaveist]

If the tank is big enough a sea slug, a tiger conch would leave the rocks super clean, sand i would say a sand sifting star fish

what type of sea slug will be good and will a tiger conch knock over rocks and eat smaller fish

 

[zenfish]

wow that's a big tank. put whatever you want in there.

I like fighting conchs I have two that have done well for a year in a medium tank. Im not suggesting them but if they work they are fun and have personality and the sand is pretty clean on the bottom.

 

[zenfish]

sea slug? like what?

 

[Montaquelaveist]

sea slug? like what?

i meant sea cucumber lol

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Holothuria atra

 

[zenfish]

I don't know a ton about sea cucumbers but the info is out there, I like tiger tail sea cucumbers for sure, and could suggest them in a big tank like yours.

Those big pink and black ones don't do it for me but they do tend to live a pretty long time in any of the stores I have worked at. I'd say maybe better in a heavilly fed tank as opposed to nutrient poor environments but again I don't know for sure.

 

[Jazeel55]

Bullet goby is by far the best sand shifting fish