best CUC member to clean sand bed?

[hardimanm]

I am filling out my clean up crew but I need to focus more on the sand bed surface. What is best to clean the top layer of the sand? Cerith, nerite, nassarius, conchs, or hermit crabs? Looking at online resourses just contradicts each other.
Any help would be great.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I like nassarius snails and a fighting conch for keeping the top layer of sand clean and white.

I have a large fighting conch that cruises on the top of the sand and keeps it looking pristine. I got mine from CRA a year ago when I set up my 180. It's been a great asset to my clean up crew.

I also enjoy watching nassarius snails emerge out of the sand and eat fish food on the sand bed. I have both small nassarius (n. vibex) and large ones (n. distortus and not Ilyanassa obsoleta from temperate water that has a rather short life in our reef tank).

While hermit crabs are amusing to watch, I do not like them in my reef tanks because they tend to eat cerith snails even when there are a lot of empty shells.

 

[shirley386]

I think a fighting conch and Diamond Watchman Goby are a good combination to keep the surface of the sand clean. Be careful with the conch if you have any large hermits like the scarlet. They will snack on them right away. I agree with Tomoko about the hermits but I like Blue Legs just to watch them pick over the bottom. They will snag a snail every once in a while but I consider snails expendable anyhow.

 

[wpecoul]

+1 for a conch. Have one in my 90G and the sand is nice and clean.

 

[chipsie777]

Also use a couple conch, 10+ nassarius, plus a 6" or so sandsifting starfish in my 180.