Need help keeping white sand clean

[TonyOrlando]

I have sugar white sand and the only time it look good is when i first added it..lol. It seems as if the snails cruise the LR and i have bits and pieces of debrie and stuff all over the sand bed. Can someone please give me some advice to keeping it clean, like I see in so many other tank pics. Do I need to add a sand cleaner of some sort? I have 3 sand sifting crabs , 20 little snails, and 12 turbos and none of them seem to help. Please respond.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Re: Need help keeping white sand clean

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8624396#post8624396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TonyOrlando
Do I need to add a sand cleaner of some sort?

Surely you've heard of Dawn!

 

[Blown 346]

You can increase water flow and or total tank turnover to help sweep detritus out of the tank and into the filter.

There is no such thing as a snad cleaner except the natural snails, starfish etc.
Maybe look into getting a brittle star to help scavenge and clean up.
Otherwise waterflow and some other tank cleaners will help out.

 

[mr.wilson]

Add a pair of gobies from the Valenciennea genus and you will never have to stir the sand again.

V. Wardi and V. puellaris are the easiest, but they are jumpers for the first month or so. V. Strigata is more difficult to keep (feeding and bacterial infections). Always keep them in pairs.

 

[Phillybean]

Well 2 things, 1 if your using a DSB, you'll never keep it clean, nor do you want too, dirty is clean.

If you don't have a DSB, I would advise to follow the advice given by Steve (I think his name is Steve) from Oregonreef.com. He vaccums the sand, how since he isn't using this for filtration it's fine, but he does have to add sand from time to time.

I also love the look of nice white sand, but want the benefit of a DSB. So Im going to be having a section in my fuge with a 12" RDSB, a shallow sand bed in the tank, which I'll keep clean. I plan on having an area of the tank that is deeper then the rest for a Jawfish, but that's another story

 

[scott324]

Get youself a Queen Conch or two. They keep the top layer of sand nice and clean from Algea, food, etc. If you are talking about the little pieces of rubble that fall of the rocks then simply just pick them out. I actually make a little pile behind the main rock structure. It makes a good pod haven.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Holothuria impatiens eats detritus on/in the sandbed.

 

[GobyJohnKenobi]

Cerith snails, and they also clean the algae that grows on the glass under the level of the sandbed.

 

[coralnut99]

I think Gary's suggestion of adding Holothuria sp. cucmbers is the best as far as adding a specific critter. I have at least one in every tank. They do fine in BB, SSB, and DSB tanks. They are nocturnal, and do a fabulous job of sifting over the very top of any sandbed. These are a Carribean species, cheap and readily available. No need to buy the more expensive, tougher to keep, and potentially dangerous Pacific species.

 

[Ocicat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8641475#post8641475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coralnut99
No need to buy the more expensive, tougher to keep, and potentially dangerous Pacific species.

So with this kind, is there no risk of the cucumber-triggered tank wipeouts I've heard about?

 

[coralnut99]

Absolutley none. That's why I stick with them. They may not carry the cool colors of the pink and black, etc varieties, but they are nocturnal and get the job done with no bad habits whatsoever. Just be sure to acclimate slowly.