Sand sifting fish that won't carpet surf?

[Seventy]

My sand-sifting starfish is lazy and slow, and my nassarius snails keep getting eaten by crabs and shrimp... Is there a fish, maybe a type of Goby that will not jump? I've lost 2 Diamond Gobies and I even had an eggcrate lid on the tank both times. It seems like every time I read up on a Goby there is someone saying that it jumps. What is my best bet for a sand-sifter then? Suggestions? I also considered a cucumber, but I'm afraid it would get eaten by crabs and shrimp just like the snails do.

Or do I just suck it up and make a DIY Goby deflection shield? :D

[evoracer]

Well, the first question is why do you want sand sifters? Most of the sifters quickly consume all of the beneficial critters in a sandbed. Many even disturb the delicate balance between aerobic and anaerobic areas of the sandbed. Also, what kind of crabs and shrimp are you keeping that eat nassarius? Do you have the large species of nassarius?

[Seventy]

Before I explain why I would like them... the less practical(but equally important) reason I want sandsifters is because my wife likes them, esp. Gobies. :)


I have a scarlet cleaner shrimp that is a good 4" long(never seen him kill a snail, but frequently catch him picking out of shells), a couple red/blue leg hermits, 2 emerald crabs, and 2 peppermints that I never see. I have only had the small nassarius. The other snails I have are mexican turbos, nerites(hate them) and astrea, they work wonders on glass and rockwork, but I keep getting alot of sandbed detrius buildup because my crabs are lazy. Some diatoms too, but I blame that on some re-scaping I did.

1.5" sandbed. I have 1500gph of circulation in a 55 gal tank. Internal DIY refugium that I made out of a breeder. Mostly mushrooms as far as corals, no completely dead spots, but some low flow areas. A new skimmer would definately help, I sold my Seaclone100 in anticipation of an upgrade, but my sump project is on hold. I also wanted to try my mushroom tank skimmerless.

It's not so much that I NEED sandsifters, but I want them and it irritates me that they won't stay in the tank. :mad2: