Sand sifter that wont starve?

[plancton]

What kind of fish will sift my sand and make it look nice and clear, without starving to death. Its a 175 gal tank.

Suggest a possible fish, if not, what critter?

 

[Amoore311]

Sand Sifting Cucumbers and Nassarius snails.

Snails will turn the sand over, not sift it persay.

The cuc will sift the sand. You will probably need a couple in a 175 gallon.

 

[petoonia]

In a well established 175G you could try a diamond watchman goby, or yellow headed sleeper goby. Do you have a refuge to support your pod population?

 

[crsswift70]

how old is the tank as well. If it's new, they won't have anything to sift i have one cucumber in my 29 gallon tank.. he's just sitting under one rock and munching away. He hasn't had to move in a week. (i just got him a week ago)

 

[downhillbiker]

rainford's goby's have the best color ever, and only get about 2" long. they eat all day and barely keep up in my 75, so you may want 2.

 

[downhillbiker]

here's a pic of the rainford's goby, plus they eat hair algae

 

[dbabiak18]

I've always been a fan of the sleeper gobys. They sift like crazy and also are funny to watch taking things back to their burrow.

 

[Theexp]

I'd put another vote for the diamond goby. I've had one, that i don't supplement food for, and is still alive. He's a real workhorse as well.

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Well, how about a dragon goby? My two sift my sand all day long and they never starve. They eat algae and whatever else. They'll also eat with your other fish, but they're amazing sand sifters.

 

[fyrfytr1717]

My first diamond lasted about 4 months, the next one only about a month. They both sifted all day long and they ate all the mysis shrimp they could get ahold of at feeding time. They both starved. Supposedly they are prone to some type of internal parasite that eventually starves them no matter how much they eat.

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Ahh... that could be problem. I've had my dragon goby for a while and I guess I'm lucky that it hasn't gotten sick yet.

 

[JoeMomma]

Problem with those goby is that they will spit substrate all over live rock and corals. You will have to clean it off.

 

[plancton]

I onced bought a rainford goby and it lasted about 3 weeks and then dissapeared, I never saw him eating algae too, I thought only Hectors Goby do that.

My tank is 175 gal, no fuge.

So cast your vote people, which goby to get for sand sifting? algae eating is also a plus.

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Hmm.... I can't think of anything... maybe those onyx nassarius snails...

http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?did=2&cid=82&pid=1141

Does that work?

 

[plancton]

No because they don´t sell those snails here in Mexico.

 

[Dante_JoseCuerv]

Ahhh... hmmm... that could be a problem... I really can't think of anything then.