What Is The Best Sand Stirrer

[attygarla]

FOR A DEEP ARGONITE SAND BED/REFUGIUM ( 10 INCHES OF SAND ) IN A 40 GAL TANK WITH A FEW FISH AND PLANTS AND CLEANER SRIMP ?

 

[t11t5]

I had 2 sand sifting starfish in my 150g. Some people will say they are bad cause they eat everything in the sand. I had the 2 in mine for almost 2 years with not one problem.

 

[plateboy3293]

I keep a sand sifting star in my 120 gallon with no effects but he does remove n=beneficial bacteria but is not a good sand stirrer. Pistol shrimp are very good at moving sand but will only move sand around their burrow but are still pretty interesting compared to the ss star.

 

[Leaky01ch]

I have had good luck with Nassarius snails. They burrow around and come out when I put food in the tank. They are also very cheap if you live by a good place that stocks them.

 

[Flavum]

I really like the fighting conchs if you can find them. I have 2 in my 40 and I havent found anything that moves around as mucha s they do.

 

[scrombussquared]

I have a large ( around 3") tulip snail in my 75....He does a great job of bulldozing the sand, and does not topple the rockwork.

 

[J. Montgomery]

I keep Nassarius snails (preferably the larger Tongan species), cerinth snails, and a fighting conch in my tank. Additionally, my yellow watchman goby sifts sand every once in a while.

 

[AqUaCHiC]

I also added a bunch of sand-sifting stars with no real results. what does a fighting conch look like?

 

[plateboy3293]

I keep 2 of them in my 120 with 24 nassarius
Here is a link
http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+526+2174&pcatid=2174&N=0

 

[Guygettnby]

i keep some nessarus snails, 1 cucmber, 3 different kind of conchs, 4 cherry clams and 1 other kinf of snail i cant remember right now. but my substrate stays very clean. the cherry clams do a great job at mixing up the substrate and you never see them. they can be bought at most local food or fish stores live.

 

[m0nk]

Nassarius and cerith snails both do great jobs.

 

[FOSELONE]

you could add some diamond gobies...

 

[vasilithegreek]

+1 on the diamond gobie. my diamond would just sift through sand all day and kept my sand perfectly white

 

[chrisstie]

A diamond again is going to eat beneficial things from your sand. in a 40 gal I'd recommend against it.

I'd stick with nassarius and a cucumber. For such a deep sand bed maybe you could consider something like engineer gobies that will build a cave under/around your rock. You'd need to make sure there wouldn't be any cave -ins though. They eat mysis and not the beneficial things from your sand so are probably a better bet.

 

[JEFFR259]

+1 on the sand sifting starfish (pro-starfish that is).

There is alot of anti-SSS members here, and that's cool. However mine is doing well (however only had about 5 months), but like some members said above, I know alot of people that have had them a LONGGGGG time. I think it also depends on how much real estate the SSS gets to have so that he doesn't deplete the LS. I dunno

Regardless, mine does a great job and he is very cautious about moving around coral...never bumps or knocks over anything and he gets in some pretty small areas.

I also have Nassarius snails (about 30) and they do a great job as well.

If I had to guess, I don't think the SSS or Nass snails would get very deep in your 10" bed, however they would do a very good job of maintaining the top 1-2"

that's my $.02

 

[Jay03GT]

I have a diamond goby, thought he was really cool for a long time. Now I wish I had never got him. Can't put anything near one of his "dens" or it gets buried. Constantly covers everything on or near the bottom with sand. I'm gonna try to trap him out of the tank. I do have 2 tongan fighting conchs in my 120 and one in the 40B next to it, they do a great job. Also have a bunch of nassarius and cerith snails, they are both real good CUC members.

 

[loof the doof]

my vote goes with the engineer goby

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

i dont think you want to be disturbing a 10" sand bed...

i have the tongan nassarius snails...very awesome movers and shakers...i also love my strawberry conch..but he is a bulldozer and will knock anything over thatis in his way that he cant climb over...