Maintaning a fresh sandbed?

[yellowtruck75]

I am setting up a 120 and would like to add a thin sandbed to the tank, I was thinking something around 1-1.5" bed. In my current 125 I went from a sandbed a few years ago to a barebottom because of some algea issues. What can I do this time to keep a nice white sandbed and avoid the previous problems?

This will be an SPS dominated tank. I was thinking about adding a bunch of snails and a sand sifting star or two to keep the sand constantly turned, would this help? I was also considering vacuming the send every few water changes and replacing portions of it to keep it fresh. Do any of these ideas seem like they will help? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks
YT

[Pmolan]

I'll do it for you!!

[stuccodude]

i have that little dude and hes a workhorse.

[Beach Bum 70]

i have the fish and the sand sifting star between the both they are great!

[Steve 926]

Great alone or in a matched pair M/F. they always cruise the display together.

Have been known to be jumpers until they get comfortable with their surroundings.
My first one went carpet surfing the very night I placed it in the display. I now use egg crate as a cover at night.
Sand is clean & always being sifted & shifted by the constant digging, & searching for food also.
I feed them mysis as a treat along with some raw shrimp on a ridged 1/4 tube held on with a rubber band.

They are ALWAYS working !!
Glad I have them !!!

Steve 926

[JoeMomma]

Is that a diamond goby? How is their compatability with other gobys??

[yellowtruck75]

Is it commonly known as a diamond goby or a sand sifting goby?

[topfeeder]

Originally posted by Pmolan

I'll do it for you!!

They are great but they starve to death. That's been my experiences anyway. Anybody able to keep them alive for some time? Let us know how you did it as I would love to add one again.

[SuperAWE]

Latin Name: Valenciennea puellaris
Common Name: Diamond Goby
Also known as: Orangespotted Sleeper Goby

[LobsterOfJustice]

The best way is to make sure no waste makes it to the sandbed IMO. Either limit how much you are feeding or increase flow to do this. Sea cucumbers help too. Snails dont seem to do much because they are so small, but a few of them are good too. I never had luck with conchs.

As far as the diamond gobies go, I have heard mixed reports. Some people have success, but others say they never take prepared foods and starve. Some people also hate them because they never stop making sandstorms. There are other types of gobies that sift sand, but not to the same degree as the diamonds. I might suggest one of them (watchman or similar) because they are more likely to eat prepared foods and are less obsessive about sifting.

[JoeMomma]

I thought watchman gobies don't venture far from their holes. I need something to do the trick as my sand is starting to turn brown.

[kelley_mc]

What about a Brownbarred Goby - Amblygobius phalaena?

Check them out here --> http://www.peteducation.com/article....articleid=2083

Supposed to be excellent sand stirrers and much more hardy than the Diamond Goby.

[mcrist]

I had a pair of sand sifting gobies and they did do a great job for awhile. In my opinion they clean the sand too well and I ended up with sand devoid of all life. Once that happened I started to have problems with algae and they slowly starved to death.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Originally posted by JoeMomma
I thought watchman gobies don't venture far from their holes. I need something to do the trick as my sand is starting to turn brown.

They don't. Mine only sifts a little 4" area right outside his burrow.

[lewismw]

just get a sand star and a batch of Large Nassarius Snails. they constantly move the sand.
http://www.marinedepotlive.com/tonga...d-animals.html

[JoeMomma]

Don't sleeper gobies eat inverts?

Is there a good sand sifting goby that will not eat inverts or attack other gobies?

This doesn't sound too promising about sand sifting stars. "One Sand Sifting Sea Star can void a 5 inch sandbed in an 80 gallon system of living sandbed matter in just a few weeks. It will then proceed to stay hidden in the sand, starve to death and decay." Who wants one of these things to die and rot under the sand until you finally realize its dead!

[FishF00d]

My diamond goby covers the entire tank. With the 1 inch sand bed you don't need to worry about life in it if the diamond goby does really clean it out. You seem to want it for the look rather than the function. My diamond also eats everything I put in the tank. I've only had it for about 4 months but the tank was newly set up just before I got it so if it was going to starve to death I think it would have done so already.

[Steve 926]

I use this target feeder for the gobby & corals.
Mysis, cyclopeeze, spurlina (? spelling) any thing mixed with SW small enough to pass down the tube. They will evenyually swim under it an eat right out of the tube. better than the $30 target feeder by Kent, & more controlable.

10ml syringe ( I get 4 for $5 at a medical supply store) 12~15" 1/4 ridged airline tubing & 1" of 1/4 soft airline tubing to connect the syringe to the ridged.

Your gobby & corals will love you for it !!!



Steve 926

[tank o tang]

push a cube of food in the sand for him.

[lewismw]

sandstars will only deplete your sandbed of organic life if you have very poor tank quality where there is no regeneration. The stars cannot eat faster than the sand can create in a healthy tank environment . They are great for keeping the sand sifted as they constantly are going in and out of the top and bottom of the sandbed.

[kelley_mc]

I've seen a lot of information to the contrary that says most sandstars die of starvation.

[kronos5]

I've had one in my 55 gal for over a year and a half and he is growing and doing fine. He will also be making the trip to my upgrade ( 125 ) this Summer.

[lewismw]

I have had the same 2 for 3 years in two different tanks. They are great!

[rbrusletto]

I've had a sandsifting star in my 30 for almost a year... no problems at all.