What are some ways to keep live sand clean?

[Jkedra]

Hello. I have a 55 gallon reef tank with about 45 pounds of live sand. I am trying to keep it clean by adding hermit crabs, and recently I bought a sleeper head goby. It turns out that it is doing more bad than good. What are some other ways to keep the sand clean?

 

[dubs]

dymond goby at least thats what i like

 

[Dre]

By not having any at all..

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Get a good cleanup crew with lots of Nassarius snails.

 

[knugenx]

sand sifting fish, a good cleanup crew...and good flow.

 

[fishman1069]

Nassariu snails, diamond goby and sand dollars. They all do the trick for my tank

 

[E.intheC]

Good flow and proper nutrient import and export are the keys. Clean up crews are OK, but they produce a bioload as well.

 

[Frank A.]

If you have "live"sand do not use crabs,sand stirring starfish,gobies because they will eat everything that you paid good money for in your sand. Use Cucs, serpent stars,Cerith and Nassariu(sp?.)snails (lots of these).There are others that I can't remember off hand.

 

[guarda]

I'd like to know as well. I have stuff on my sandbed so I don't want a fish spitting sand on them but it looks like the only way. I have about 7 Nassarius snails that don't seem to be making a difference. Contemplating going to all black sand.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Crabs are fine to use. Nassarius snails are the best in my opinion.

Here is a little help for you Dead sand becomes live after a while.

 

[reefman]

Good flow and proper nutrient import and export are the keys.

agree

 

[Tommy Boy]

Good flow and proper nutrient import and export are the keys.

for the record this was the only solution given, the others are just band-aids.
clean water will keep the sand white.

 

[mqur1963]

adding bio pellets to system will take care off all the issues

 

[aznt1217]

Everybody is going to have different methods. Flow is important. I have a lot of flow, many nassarius snails (x LG ones) and a wrasse that turns the sand over all the time.

 

[jrobbins]

Also, black sand shows poop and gunk much more than white sand does. at least to me.

 

[NL146]

for the record this was the only solution given, the others are just band-aids.
clean water will keep the sand white.

Don't forget that the scavengers of the sea (crabs, shrimp, lobsters, etc) eat organic material that settle on the sea floor, and others such as cucumbers that filter out organic material from the sea substrate. These animals do in the tank what they do in nature (including gobies) - they help to clean the substrate. How are they not part of the solution? If they are nature's band-aids then so be it.

 

[Frank A.]

Brendan,"dead sand becomes live sand after awhile".Alive with what? If it's nice little worms and micro stuff then I've been spending money I didn't have to.Thanks in advance!

 

[NL146]

Brendan,"dead sand becomes live sand after awhile".Alive with what? If it's nice little worms and micro stuff then I've been spending money I didn't have to.Thanks in advance!

Bacteria.

 

[jcono]

Do your research before getting sand sifting sea stars. They will starve to death quickly in smaller than a 200 gal. tank, from what I've heard.

Sea Cucumbers (the tiger tail brown ones) are awesome!! They will not nuke your tank if they die, unlike other cukes.

 

[fishman1069]

Don't forget that the scavengers of the sea (crabs, shrimp, lobsters, etc) eat organic material that settle on the sea floor, and others such as cucumbers that filter out organic material from the sea substrate. These animals do in the tank what they do in nature (including gobies) - they help to clean the substrate. How are they not part of the solution? If they are nature's band-aids then so be it.

The reason they are not the solution is cause all the stuff they eat they eventually poop out and the nutrients are right back in the water. You cant even come close to comparing our little glass boxes to the ocean!!