What is the easiest/best way to clean sand?

[Salty Brother]

What is the best way to clean the sand? Not the whole like 2 1/2 inches just the top layer so it is nice and white. I always see people tanks with nice white sand. What is the secret? siphoning? Thanks for any replies!
Patrick

[seanliston]

i need a little help about tha too.... i have tried syphoning the top bit but it only helps for a day or too

[DrBDC]

You shouldn't need anything but a good clean up crew and lots of flow.

[seanliston]

got that....................................

[DrBDC]

try nasseris(sp?) snails. I have the obsoletea(sp?) ones and haven't had them die off for about a year now but I hear I should have went with the regular type. I have a ton of peanut worms too from seeding with live sand as well as the base of southdown maybe that helps. Some could be how the camera's pick up the image too.

[seanliston]

i have nassarius snails... astrea snails.. red legged and blue legged hermits and a sand sifting goby

[bbcorvette]

I wouldn't recommend stirring the sandbed in any way, you release alot of trapped nitrites and stirr up detritus. I would just have a good clean up crew. Get a sandsifting goby and some nassarius snails.

[tjay]

sand sifting gobies are great, we lost ours to Katrina but a new one is planned for the new tank in dallas

[extinguishfire]

I have a diamond goby and it keeps my sand looking brand new. It is a great sand sifter cause it doesn't pick up sand then carry it up to the top of the tank to sift. It does it low so that it doesn't cause a sand storm in my tank.

[BLOODMAN]

I second the Diamond Goby. Pristine looking sand and the kids have a ball watching the sand come out of his gills

[Salty Brother]

Ok thanks, I need to soon pick up some more red and blue legged crabs, and the snails you were talking about are the ones that burrow under the sand right? Because I was also thinking of picking some of thoes up to. Also I was looking into a Sand Sifting Goby but dont know what kind to get, I have two shrimp gobies already but a sand sifter should be fine. Also it cant get to big becuase of the size of my tank. And again thanks for the help

[Salty Brother]

What about the Two Spot Goby (Signigobius biocellatus), its a cool looking fish and most importantly it is peaceful and only gets about 3 inches. Anyone else have one?

[Salty Brother]

Anyone have suggestions?

[hopper]

Can you put a sand sifting goby in the same tank with a shrimp goby?

[Salty Brother]

I dont know, I have two Shrimp Gobies, I start a new thread asking that.