Sand cleaning fish help.

[Jim96SC2]

My substrate, sugar fine sand, is quickly overrun by algae. I let things go and have slowly been adding CUC and I think I'm around the point where my rocks are covered but my sand is a mess. I need a sand ssifting/cleaning fish that will eat the algae thats overcoming my once white pristine sand.

58RR
36x18 footprint.

Oscelleris Clown
Court Jester Goby (bless his heart, he tries his best)
Carpenters Wrasse
Purple Firefish
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Fire Shrimp


Any help appreciated. I only ask because some sites are claiming that the sand sifting gobies eat crustaceans within the sand, which I do not have.

 

[MatthewLaw]

I would suggest a Lawn Mower Blenny. i recently purchased one for algae in my own tank and he currently is in my QT to make sure he is eating well and no signs of disease, etc.

 

[problemfixer]

Diamond Goby, but have a good top because they like to jump.
Or Golden Head Goby.

Both did a good job on the sand for me. You'll experience a dust storm initially. Also, my Golden Head had a tendancy to dump sand on corals and clams so I had to occasionally blow the sand off those.

 

[sevendigitcake]

Diamond Goby, but have a good top because they like to jump.
Or Golden Head Goby.

I was under the impression that a diamond goby would starve in such a small tank, am i wrong?

 

[Jim96SC2]

I'd like to keep the fish <4" I forgot to add that.

 

[snorvich]

I was under the impression that a diamond goby would starve in such a small tank, am i wrong?

Well first of all, I don't think this fish will eat the algae on your sand (which is a symptom of a nutrient import/export problem), and as sevendigitcake says, it will deplete your live sand of helpful organisms in a smallish tank.

 

[Reefbox]

i use florida fighting conchs to keep my sand turning over and white. they do a great job at it.

 

[cindre2000]

Diamond gobies do wonders at turning over the sand. They don't eat the algae, but they do turn over the sand, thus preventing algae growth. However, you will have to make sure that it is getting fish food as well, or it will starve.

Sand sifting cucumbers also turn over the sand quite well.

Any true sand sifter will deplete your sand of interesting micro fauna; however, you will have pristine white sand. And in the end, that loss of biodiversity, does not detrimentally effect the tank noticeably.

 

[pleasants9]

what kind of flow do you have going on?

 

[Jim96SC2]

what kind of flow do you have going on?

Mag 5 with 5' of head, Korelia 1 and 2. Thinking of ditching the 1 and going to a 3.

 

[mod0522]

I am a huge fan of the Byno Goby, they max out at about 3 inches, stir my sand AND pick at any hair algae that decided to make an appearance. They are really docile fish and dont go crazy digging large holes or rearranging substrate and small rocks like a diamond goby would. I have a pair in my 200 system and they are awesome!

 

[Jim96SC2]

I am a huge fan of the Byno Goby, they max out at about 3 inches, stir my sand AND pick at any hair algae that decided to make an appearance. They are really docile fish and dont go crazy digging large holes or rearranging substrate and small rocks like a diamond goby would. I have a pair in my 200 system and they are awesome!

Very cool, but I have never seen one in any of the LFS's so far.

 

[mod0522]

Check out some of the online vendors. I acquire a good deal of my livestock via the internet. I'm pretty sure Live Aquaria has Bynos in stock at the moment.

 

[problemfixer]

Diamond Goby, but have a good top because they like to jump.
Or Golden Head Goby.

I probably didn't explain very well or consider the tank size. Didn't mean for these fish to clean up the current algae sand problem, but to keep it sifted for future problems.

The Gold Head Sleeper Goby I had did eat various foods that I fed the tank. The Diamonds that I had didn't last long because they still managed to jump out of my tank.

 

[rort]

I have had the same experience with the same sand u have. It took quite sometime to get rid of my algae problem but once I added my pair of signal/twin spot gobies the did great!!! The don't eat that much like the larger gobies, they stay very small, and they don't pour sand all over my corals in my sand bed because they don't really ever swim off the bottom of my tank!

 

[Jim96SC2]

I have had the same experience with the same sand u have. It took quite sometime to get rid of my algae problem but once I added my pair of signal/twin spot gobies the did great!!! The don't eat that much like the larger gobies, they stay very small, and they don't pour sand all over my corals in my sand bed because they don't really ever swim off the bottom of my tank!

LFS had a twin spot last week or so. I'll look into it.

 

[Grandreef 2]

Diamond gobies could make a sand storm in your aquarium. I like the the twin spot and the orangemarked gobies both 3-4"

 

[Troy the Nomad]

Diamond gobies could make a sand storm in your aquarium. I like the the twin spot and the orangemarked gobies both 3-4"

Can you tell me more about your orangemarked goby? I was looking for one a few years back and settled for a bullet/dragon/brownbarred(pick a name!) goby. While he is endlessly sifting sand, he is also endlessly burying anything near the bottom of the tank! Does the orangemarked goby do similar things?

Thanks
Troy

 

[small alien]

How long have you had your twinspots

How long have you had your twinspots

I have had the same experience with the same sand u have. It took quite sometime to get rid of my algae problem but once I added my pair of signal/twin spot gobies the did great!!! The don't eat that much like the larger gobies, they stay very small, and they don't pour sand all over my corals in my sand bed because they don't really ever swim off the bottom of my tank!

They are so beautiful but I've heard they're nearly impossible to keep alive. How long have you had yours and how are they looking? Thanks.

 

[snorvich]

I too would love the information requested above on twinspot gobies. /\