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View Full Version : A good sand stirrer for a reef?


Zante
01/15/2014, 01:45 PM
Possibly an invertebrate.
I have a Fiji biotope, so it must be found in Fiji.

Tank is 550 litres. With a 100 litre sump.

Sand bed is between two and three inches thick.

Pastey
01/15/2014, 01:52 PM
Diamond watchman goby? They can be a nuisance when it comes to dropping sand on things. I've found that to be hit and miss. Mine is a model citizen but I've had friends want to pull their hair out because their goby makes the tank look like a snow globe.

Zante
01/15/2014, 02:33 PM
I have one, but it is very reclusive. I wanted another (possibly an invert as I said) to complement it.

AndysReef
01/15/2014, 02:34 PM
Sea cucumber, sand sifting star

Zante
01/15/2014, 02:45 PM
I had thought of a sand sifting star, but don't those need a deeper sand bed?

AndysReef
01/15/2014, 02:53 PM
No, you should be fine. It can eat shrimp and other inverts

Lateralus
01/15/2014, 03:12 PM
Tiger conch.

Zante
01/15/2014, 03:22 PM
No, you should be fine. It can eat shrimp and other inverts

Shrimp as in cleaner shrimps or as in mysis, sexy and other smaller shrimps?

Tiger conch.

I have three conch snails but they don't do much.

cloak
01/15/2014, 03:42 PM
Couldn't you just skip an invertebrate altogether and use your finger, a stick, or a small powerhead to stir up the top layer of your sand bed on occasion? (preferably right before a water change)
Just a thought.

Zante
01/15/2014, 03:59 PM
I could, but a power cut killed part of my population and I'm restocking anyway.
Might as well look into some interesting critters that are also useful.

degibson84
01/15/2014, 04:03 PM
I have a sand sifter in my 220 with only ~2 inches of sand. He also has not eaten any of my shrimp. I have 2 peppermint and 2 cleaners

Zante
01/15/2014, 04:08 PM
Sand sifting star it is then...

sunil6784
01/15/2014, 04:14 PM
Might want to read up on sand sifting stars. They need a huge sandbed, preferably deep, in order to survive long term. Most people get them and watch them starve to death....

Zante
01/15/2014, 06:47 PM
Might want to read up on sand sifting stars. They need a huge sandbed, preferably deep, in order to survive long term. Most people get them and watch them starve to death....

That was my understanding, that is why I didn't just go for one instead of asking this question, but two here already suggested it would be fine in my tank.

I do have plenty of sand, I was planning on a large clam and a sand anemone, so I made room for them when planning the rockwork, but the clam went out of the picture when I got a butterfly and some angels.

It's not particularly deep though, between 2 and 3 inches with a couple of 4 inch mounds.

degibson84
01/15/2014, 06:49 PM
Might want to read up on sand sifting stars. They need a huge sandbed, preferably deep, in order to survive long term. Most people get them and watch them starve to death....

some people say they starve to death but I have kept them in all my tanks. I had 2 in a 45 gallon and they did fine. I have one in my current 220 gallon and it has only been setup since May.

edmondspl
01/15/2014, 07:23 PM
I have a fighting conch and a queen conch in my 180 and they do a great job. Every morning it looks like my substrate got vacuumed.

Molly1414
01/16/2014, 12:48 AM
I would go with the conch. My husband put one in his tank and it does a great job cleaning the sand bed. I put a sand sifter in my tank and it does very little. If you want your sand bed cleaned up the get a conch.

Reefer54
01/16/2014, 01:28 AM
sand sifting stars are carnivores and eat the good out of your live sand....leaving the stuff you want it to take care of, which is what makes your sandbed a nutrient \ nitrate trap....grab some nassarius snails, they do a great job of sifting the sand...really only go about an inch deep, and they love to eat crap.

Zante
01/16/2014, 02:02 AM
I have a fighting conch and a queen conch in my 180 and they do a great job. Every morning it looks like my substrate got vacuumed.

Can't. They aren't Fiji.

sand sifting stars are carnivores and eat the good out of your live sand....leaving the stuff you want it to take care of, which is what makes your sandbed a nutrient \ nitrate trap....grab some nassarius snails, they do a great job of sifting the sand...really only go about an inch deep, and they love to eat crap.

I have a five nassarius, maybe I should up the number...

cloak
01/16/2014, 07:08 PM
Can't. They aren't Fiji.



I have a five nassarius, maybe I should up the number...

FWIW, if your using the nassarius snails to clean up the scraps, that's not good. You might want to feed smaller portions at a time and watch EVERYTHING be consumed. If your using them to stir up the sand, like I said before, just stir it up yourself. You'll be much more efficient at this, plus, you don't poop in the tank. :)

JMO, GL.

AugustWest
01/16/2014, 07:25 PM
Tiger tail Cucumber. Eats sand , poops clean sand...... Can't beat that.

Zante
01/17/2014, 01:32 AM
FWIW, if your using the nassarius snails to clean up the scraps, that's not good. You might want to feed smaller portions at a time and watch EVERYTHING be consumed. If your using them to stir up the sand, like I said before, just stir it up yourself. You'll be much more efficient at this, plus, you don't poop in the tank. :)

JMO, GL.

Nah... I have nassarius snails because I like them. I find it funny when they emerge all at once when they smell food. The fact that they do a little bit of cleaning is a bonus.

Zante
01/17/2014, 01:34 AM
Tiger tail Cucumber. Eats sand , poops clean sand...... Can't beat that.

You're not the first one to suggest a cucumber. I'm a bit hesitant as I'm afraid of it killing my tank, I've read some scary stories.

I guess I'll look into it again...

faithenfire
01/17/2014, 08:18 AM
i had a tiger. he was great. a fantastic cleaner.

i don't know if it's completely true, but i've heard the less colorful the type of cucumber, the less likely to nuke the tank

my guy died and the tank was fine, but he didn't die and spew his guts all over which i think is the issue

Meanmike
01/17/2014, 08:34 AM
I find that no matter what critters i have in the sand bed I still need to stir it by hand once in a while. I keep several nassarius snails and cerith snails as well as fighting conchs and a couple of sea cucumbers.

Badfish_Reefer
01/17/2014, 09:07 AM
My Sandbed is only 3 inches deep. I've had a sifting star for a year now. He's the MVP of my tank, keeps the sand clean and stirs it around. As long as you have enough waste for it to eat it will be fine.

Squidmotron
01/17/2014, 10:14 AM
After I got my sand-sifting star I began reading here religiously and learned two things.

1) They will deplete the sandbed and starve in a year.
2) They don't eat the really nasty stuff you want them to eat, but only eat beneficial stuff.

Unfortunately, I have this thing were I usually just can't get rid of an animal I buy (unless it was blatantly harming another). I just feel that they are my pets and it wouldn't be right. So, I simply waited for #1 to happen. Never did. Been longer than 2 years.

So, my conclusion is that #1 is disproven.

#2 I have no idea about. It's possible that my tank would be better if I didn't have the sand-sifting star. If indeed it does die, I suppose I can compare.