what and where to buy for keeping sandbed clean?

deansreef · #1 10/28/2006, 06:28 PM

Please let me know where I can buy critters to keep my SSB clean and fresh...

Dean

120greefr · #2 10/28/2006, 06:30 PM

I like my conch. Does a very good job at keeping it clean.

reef_ky · #3 10/28/2006, 07:45 PM

snails & sand sifting goby does a nice job for me.....

drives300 · #4 10/28/2006, 10:43 PM

must be nassarius snail though. They are the only ones that will go in it

deansreef · #5 10/29/2006, 06:15 AM

I will add nasaurius and a conch and a starfish.

luke30mm · #6 10/29/2006, 12:42 PM

i agree with dean ......nass. stars, a conch definatly will help

awestruck · #7 10/30/2006, 06:00 AM

I was told that sand sifting stars aren't good choices because they eat too many animals that are important to the tank (ie: worms).

t-bone2 · #8 10/30/2006, 07:23 AM

stars shrimp crabs all scavengers

LobsterOfJustice · #9 10/30/2006, 07:56 AM

Flow, cerith, nassarius, conch, cucumber, gobies.

reefbuzz · #10 10/30/2006, 08:06 AM

I second flow. Keeps detritus in suspension.

somethingphishy · #11 10/30/2006, 09:36 AM

sand sifting sea star did a good job for my tank

benray4fun · #12 10/30/2006, 10:07 AM

sand sifting goby for sure, but not the yellow headed one as he sprays everything with sand as he swims ...

Steve Richardson · #13 10/30/2006, 10:56 AM

nassarius are so cool.

When I would feed the tank, it would sometimes look like 'dawn of the dead' with all of them coming up out of the sand.

scarpenter · #14 10/30/2006, 12:24 PM

I have atleast 40 or 50 Nasarius. they weren't doing that good of a job. The brown algae kept coming back. But I got a Large Atlantic Conch. And the sand is very clean and white in my 110.

falconut · #15 10/30/2006, 12:49 PM

I don't believe the Nassarius will eat algae, I think they eat mostly uneaten foods. They do stir the sand when they bury. But if not supplied with enough food they will die off. This is what I was told. I started off with 25 and all but 2 died off. I was told that my 90 gal. tank must of only had enough food to maintain the 2. If you get them, I wouldn't get too many at one time. JME

I recently got 50 Ceriths from www.reeftopia.com to keep my sand bed clean. These guys do eat Algae. Plus, I have two small (1") queen conches and they do a great job as well. Yes, I know they get big.

I have heard the same thing about the sand sifting stars and sand sifting gobies not being good for the sand bed. The reason they sift is to eat the life out of it. So, if you are trying to keep the sand bed alive, then look for something else.

Hope this helps.