Goby/Pistol Pair & a 4" Sand Bed

[Reefing Newbie]

So I have been rethinking getting a BTA down the road for a pair of Ocellaris clowns. I don't really want to risk any corals I get dieing because I have a stubborn BTA. I have two bleached BTAs that came with my tank and they find a spot to stay for two to three days then move again to the same spot. I am now contemplating doing a LTA, I know its not the natural host, because it is an anemone that is a sand dweller and isn't as complicated as a ritteri or true carpet anemone. It also isn't as much of fish killer as a handdoni. From what I have read about them, they need a 4" sand bed so they can properly bury their foot and hide if need be. A 4" sand bed is also the shallow side of a DSB if I am not mistaken. Would having this 4" sand bed cause problems with the pistol shrimp and goby digging around in it??? I don't want my tank to become a toxic mess. Also what are the chances that the LTA would catch a mandarin if I added one?

 

[TheBass]

Here is a good webpage on dsbs. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm

 

[ReeferBill]

If you add another different type of anenome to your tank, there will be a battle for life between the anenomes. Stick to one species. If you want a long tentacle sell the bubbles so they don't both perish.....or visa versa!

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I am going to sell the bubbles, already have people coming to look at them next weekend. My question lies in will I have toxic gases in my aquarium becuase of the goby and pistol pair I will be getting? I want to have the proper conditions in the tank for the LTA and the goby/pistol pair to thrive. I also don't want the LTA to eat a mandarin.

 

[Stugots75]

I've Had LTA's that don't go anywhere near the sand, most of the time they find a crevice in a piece of rock where they like the light and stay there. My first one didn't move for a year and my ocellaris never went near it until I threw a clarki in there for the heck of it then they kicked the clarki out of the LTA..I have a Deep sandbed with a Diamond goby, he changes the bottom on almost a daily basis and ive never had any issues.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I am going to sell the bubbles, already have people coming to look at them next weekend. My question lies in will I have toxic gases in my aquarium becuase of the goby and pistol pair I will be getting? I want to have the proper conditions in the tank for the LTA and the goby/pistol pair to thrive. I also don't want the LTA to eat a mandarin.

How long has your tank been set up? Have you ever done anything maintenance to the sandbed?

 

[Reefing Newbie]

The tank isnt set up yet, I am about to buy sand so I need to figure out whether a 4" sand bed will be okay with a pistol and goby. I tore down my tank because of a broken frame. The BTAs were completely bleached but now have some red hues to the tenacles, so I feel like with a lighting upgrade, I can handle a LTA.

The tank will be at least six months old before I even look for a healthy LTA. I am still in the process of researching maintainence of a 4" SB.

 

[Agu]

I found that after about 4 years the pistol shrimps incessant digging caused a never ending diatom bloom. Had to tear down and rebuild the tank with new substrate. Good thing it was only a 5.5 gallon tank.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I have just torn down my 125 gallon hopefully I won't have to do it again. What substrate were you using? What did you switch to?

 

[Reefing Newbie]

Any more input? Simpliefied questions: Will the goby and pistol playing around in the sand release toxic gases into the water column from a 4" sand bed? What are the odds of a LTA catching and eating a mandarin?

 

[Toddrtrex]

If it is a new sandbed, I wouldn't worry too much about it. My goby/shrimp pair tend to stay in the same general area, so I would think there shouldn't be any issues.

As for the Mandarin, I would be a bit nervous housing it with any anemone.

 

[jgsteven]

Goby and Shrimp in a sand bed

Goby and Shrimp in a sand bed

Hello,

I had the same worry when I added a goby and shrimp to the 4-5" sand bed in my 29G nano. I have had no problems with bad things being stirred up from my sand.

I burried some ceramic pipes in the sand, and the pair tend to star around one of the pipes. The area directly around them doesn't appear to be functioning as a DSB because it gets turned over regularly. The areas further away from them seem to be working fine, however, as I see bubbles in the sand from the glass sides.

So, they likely reduce the efficacy of the DSB. However, if they release anything bad its in such small quantities that it doesn't appear to matter.

Regards,

jgsteven