Sand Stirrer

[Patriot54]

I'm looking to add an invertebrate that will stir up my sand and keep it clean, but also not kill my snails or attack my fish. Any suggestions. My tank is a 29 gallon AGA mixed reef (mostly lps) with hang on skimmer. I run GFO and carbon 24/7

 

[ColaAddict]

Worms are great sand stirrers, get some bristle worms, you can buy em, or comes with some people's live rock, just look under the live rock and they usually hang out there. Sand stirring star fish are another option. Fighting conch and nasarius snails also stir the sand a bit because they hide in the sand.

 

[mndfreeze]

Avoid sand sifting starfish. Will deplete your sandbed fauna and eventually starve. Bristle worms are great CUC members. Nassarius snails also keep your sandbed good. A candy cane pistol will help tons too and is really passive, though some complain they steal or bury stuff. My experience is tiny candy cane pistols dont do any of that, but the bigger tiger pistols do.

 

[snorvich]

Avoid sand sifting starfish. Will deplete your sandbed fauna and eventually starve. Bristle worms are great CUC members. Nassarius snails also keep your sandbed good. A candy cane pistol will help tons too and is really passive, though some complain they steal or bury stuff. My experience is tiny candy cane pistols dont do any of that, but the bigger tiger pistols do.

Agree. Especially about avoiding sand sifting starfish.

 

[dkerns06]

Definitely do not get the star fish, it will end up starving to death for sure, mine did before I knew better. I have a sea cucumber and that pretty much all it does all day is take in sand and poop it out like a worm. I've had it for a few years now and he's still kicking. I also really prefer cerith snails over nassarius. Theyre cheap and work quite well. You want the Caribbean variety though and not the Mexican.

 

[jayelblock]

If you can find a SMALL fighting conch, it will also do a great job. A 29g is just on the minimal edge of sustainability for one of these, so you will have to a) find a small one, b) supplement with nori or algae pellets if your tank doesn't have algae on the sand bed or close to it (they do not leave the sand bed) and c) be prepared to rehome it when it gets too large.

Having said all that, they are really fun to watch. Their locomotion is strangely awkward, but they can hop fast when they need to. They clump around the sand bed and bury themselves, so they really keep it churned up.

 

[Patriot54]

Thanks for all the replies. I do have ceriths and nassarius but they don't seem to be getting the job done. Maybe I need more? I like the idea of the candy cane pistol shrimp, but I'm worried my coral banded shrimp will attack it and eat it. I would say my corral banded shrimp is aggressive when it's feeding time, or if anything goes in its cave. I have been thinking about a cucumber, but I'm really worried about it dying and killing everything. Of all the options, I like the conch. I've always wanted to get one.

 

[jayelblock]

Try the conch. They are completely passive and reef safe, and they have crazy eyeballs.

 

[dkerns06]

Just make sure 110% that it is a fighting conch. I bought one at an LFS and it ended up being a queen conch and soon as it hit the sand bed it murdered like 4 super tongan nassarius snail.

 

[derekdelisi]

it murdered like 4 super tongan nassarius snail.

:lmao: