Cleaner Fish

[Tang tank]

What is a good fish that will be safe to add to a reef tank that will help clean up the debris on the sand? I have 24 snails and 24 blue legged crabs and they are keeping the glass and live rock super clean but they never go on the sand.

 

[small alien]

What size tank do you have? What fish do you have? Can you post a picture of your tank?

Sand sifting fish often starve in all but the largest tanks. I would suggest nasarius snails or perhaps a tiger tail cumcumber for helping turn the sand.

Also, you need to make sure your flow is enough such that detritus can be removed by your filtration system. Further, be sure your system can handle your bioload. No sand sifter/cleaner is a fix for too high of a bioload.

Good luck.

 

[NewbyReefer]

I have a two spot goby. He's pretty neat to watch taking mouthfuls of sand and sifting it through its gills.

 

[snorvich]

I have a two spot goby. He's pretty neat to watch taking mouthfuls of sand and sifting it through its gills.

Unfortunately, unless you have a huge tank with a lot of sand bed, this fish is very difficult to keep.

 

[NewbyReefer]

How about a tiger goby. They do well in 50 gal tanks. I don't know what size tank you have. They take prepared foods, and frozen foods fairly well and are pretty hardy fish. (i have one, not a two spot...was sold to me wrong, didn't realize it till i went to buy another one}