Good sand sifting fish

[sneakerpimp]

My tank has been running for about four months now and it's aragonite sand bed is cover with brown and purple diatom algae. I tried mixing the sand, but now it just looks dirty. Will it stay like this? I want my white sand bed back!

I don't want a fish that will eat all the beneficial creatures in the sand bed. I just want one that will burrow and keep the sand turned over and oxygenated.

I've just thought of a sea grass wrasse so far.

 

[small alien]

I doubt there is a burrowing fish that will burrow so thoroughly as to effectively turn your sand bed. I would bet you can just wait out your current bloom. Your tank is young. It is not surprising. The solution to your "problem" if you have one lies in the source of the problem itself and the source of the "problem" is not the lack of a burrowing fish. You see where I'm coming from.

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

i'd recommend sand sifting cucumbers for that job.

 

[ssavader]

Sneakerpimp, I agree with small alien. Cyanobacter is a complex problem that will not be solved with a fish. I would respectfully suggest some research on your part. Cyanobacter, despite the problems its causes, is actually a rather interesting organism. In the mean time:

1) check your nitrate level
2) check your phospshate level
3) evaluate the flow (turnover) in your tank
4) evaluate how much your feeding your fish
5) check your skimmer for optimal function

And to make matters worse, even if all these are optimized, cyanobacter can still occurr due to its ability to utilize silicates in the absence of usable nitrate and phosphate. Be patient, as this is a problem that can come and go, sometimes with little rhyme or reason. Cyanobacter is a very complex organism!

 

[singold]

+1 smallalien & ssavader. Well advised, plus keep up on the water changes. 10-15% water change once a month IMO. At least that has worked for me over the years.