Sand Bed Cleaner Suggestions

[roodee]

In your opinions, what is the most effective cleaner for the sandbed of a 24 gallon nanocube? My glass and rocks are seemingly being taken good care of by my astreas, turbo and margarita's, but I need some workers for the sand? So what's the vote? Worms? Stars? Snails? Fishies?

Thanks!!

 

[aromano]

IMO Nassarius Snails are one of the most ideal scavengers and detritus eaters, quickly consuming uneaten food, decaying organics, and fish waste.
These guys bury themselves in the sand, which will also help you to maintain adequate oxygen levels in the substrate.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Roodee,

I hope you don't mind me adding some major input on your thread but I'm a strong advocate of tackling a source at many different angles, ask Aromano he'll tell you how I do it.

Add a sand sifting goby as well, I'm having major problems with brown diatoms in certain parts of my sand bed that my sand sifting star or Nassarius snails cannot handle alone.

I am way under the required amount for my size tank but I believe a diamond goby can help out so much if you have algae on the top of the sandbed.

Mike G

Here is a picture of my new edition that was dropped in today:

 

[Anonymous]

Sleepers are awesome but I have tried them on two seperate occasions in my 125 with a deep sand bed and neither of them made more then a year, I keep looking at them a my LFS but am afraid to try again . I believe they are kinda like manderans in that they quickly reduce the population of their primary food in the sand bed and then starve to death. Very difficult fish to keep and in my opinion not suited for a 24G tank. Also I believe they are notorious jumpers??? I would stick with snails and hermits in a small tank and also remember you really don't want to stir the sand bed that much anyway - just the very upper 1/2 inch at most or it messes with the bacterial zonation.

 

[mikeguerrero]

John is right about this fish; I haven't he experience as I just got him. I did notice that since the lights went off he has been trying to jump but I have glass tops, ouch!!!

Hopefully tommorrow he will acclimate and start sifting....

Mike

 

[skipm]

I am quite fond of using nassarious snails, either the vibex or the tongan ones. Spaghetti worms can also be useful as can sand sfiting cucumbers but IMO they are better suited for a larger tank. Mini-brittel stars also help to some extent, especially with aerating the upper layers of sand. Small hermits are also beneficial but I am just not fond of them because of snails disappearing.