Best sand cleaner?
- Thread starter Giants13
- Start date
Daltonbilecki
Member
Tiger tail sea cucumbers are my favorite. Conch snails are also good
CStrickland
New member
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
+1 and high flow. My tank has been up for 3.5 yrs with a 6" oolite sized aragonite sand, haven't ever cleaned it
mav3rick478
Premium Member
+1 on the high flow, a few months ago had issues with dino and after adding another powerhead and redirecting flow in the tank to a cross cross pattern my sand bed has remained pretty clean. So much so that my Nassarius snails are only seen when I feed the tank and my hermit crabs find more sustenance on the rocks.
slief
RC Sponsor
That was my first thought too! There is no replacement for good husbandy. Also as mentioned, high flow can go a very long way in maintaining a clean sandbed or tank bottom as the waste will be suspended so it can be sent over the overflow. In my tank, the my flow is my first line of defense and is setup to insure that nothing settles on the bottom of my tank.
That said, sand sifters that I've had good experience with in order of most effective.
Sand Star
Sea Cucumber
Fighting Conch.
I left out fish like diamond goby's because they make a mess and can starve in the absensce of enough food.
i knew this was coming thats why i said invert!!!
What he said (although my tanks are much older)
MjKonesky
New member
#1 would be a syphon. #2 Would be higher flow near the sand bed. #3 Is a toss up between big/small nassarius and sand sifting sea stars. If you have glass tops a goby would be awesome. They tend to get punked by other, more aggressive tank members though. They jump out of tanks, but do an amazing job of keeping the sand clean. If you have a fine sandbed be ready for a sandnado. Also, if you have any corals on the sandbed or close to the bottom they might get dusted.
rogerarias
New member
I just bought a sleeper golden headed goby and he's been doing a great job. Sand is white and clean.. I also have a tiger conche that does a great job too on the sand bed.
I have had 3 sand sifting stars for 2+yrs and counting.
But my best is a 12" big, black, turd looking medusa cucumber. This beast sifts and poops out amazingly clean sand. I never siphon as he, my diamond goby, nassarius snails, TT cucumbers(7), SS stars and high flow all take care of my spotless sand
But my best is a 12" big, black, turd looking medusa cucumber. This beast sifts and poops out amazingly clean sand. I never siphon as he, my diamond goby, nassarius snails, TT cucumbers(7), SS stars and high flow all take care of my spotless sand
u have 7 cucumbers?
d2mini
Premium Member
Fighting conches are pretty good.
I had 4 cucumbers in my 200g but they couldn't keep up with keeping the surface clean. The conches did a better job.
But nothing beats a sand sifting goby, like a diamond goby.
Mine moved sand around but didn't go more than half an inch off the surface so he didn't spread it all over my coral. And once I got him the surface of the sand stayed clean.
I had 4 cucumbers in my 200g but they couldn't keep up with keeping the surface clean. The conches did a better job.
But nothing beats a sand sifting goby, like a diamond goby.
Mine moved sand around but didn't go more than half an inch off the surface so he didn't spread it all over my coral. And once I got him the surface of the sand stayed clean.
jdraider75
Member
Nassarius snails work good. I never had luck with sifting star. But I really like my diamond goby. It keeps everything stirred and cleaned.
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