sand sifters???

[sipos624]

What are good sand sifters?? I have read that sand fleas (crabs) that are used for fishing bait are good sand sifters. if so i can catch those all day long. thanks,

-Mike

[demonsp]

Cerith snails , serpant stars and cucumbers work well. I have 3 inch bed and nobody keeps it clean like my diamond goby, hes the best and cleans all the way to the glass. I think all other do great job keeping the suface clean but a healthy SB need constant care and daimond does that non stop.

[sir_dudeguy]

the best thing iv'e ever had for keeping my sand clean was a diamond goby, and in my next tank i am DEFINATELY going to make sure my rock is supported by something other than the sand so that i can have one (they burrow and in my 55 w/only 1 or 2 inches of sand tops, it almost cause a rock slide...but from now on i'm always keeping at least 3 or 4 inches of sand, so i dont wanna risk it, you know?)

But he cleaned my whole tank w/in like 2 and a half days. IMO thats the best thing you could get if you wanted to keep your sand clean, cuz they do it really fast. And the best part is, it's not like some sand sifting fish who require lots of pods. This guy would take flake, frozen mysis, or even freeze dried plankton.

[EQCM2B]

I second the diamond gobie. Mine started with a dirty tank bottom and within a week had it all cleaned up and has stayed on top of ut ever since. BUT! He will undermine your rock work. Make sure that your aquascape is secure and study because he will cause it to shift be digging underneath of it. HTH

Steve

[demonsp]

Yes good point on rock work.He likes sleeping under a rock and will dig a good borrow.

[sipos624]

Thx Guys, ill look into a diamond goby but i was looking at a yellow watchman also and i dont think they would have enough room to get along in a 29 gal. Also are sand siftting stars good? becuase i heard they eat good planton.

[demonsp]

Just one needed and he sounds nice.

[sipos624]

i looked at a website were they sell em and they said min is a 50gal tank. i have a 29 gal with a sea horse and a mandarin alreay in it,,, do you think this is a problem?

[demonsp]

A few years from now he may starve cause they recieve most of ther diet from the sand . If you ever plan on anther tank in the future you would be fine. But if your stock is kept normal to low i dont see a big problem. But if you want to max out stock and never plan on a bigger tank then you may want to think twice.

[drummereef]

Make sure you have some type of anti-carpet diving mechanism in place. They are known to be jumpers. That's how my poor little one met his dimise. Before I knew better. :(

[CPT. MURPHY]

I use cerith snails they do a fantastic job on your sand bed.

CPT.

[sipos624]

Hey guys i just got my diamond goby today at my lfs for $22 and he's really cool and he's doing a great job sifting the sand. but i have really fine sand and when he sifts it dust gose everywhere and lands on my rocks and that dosent look that great, so right now haveing him is like a double edge sword. Will the dust from the siftting ever stop???

[slant77]

it should settle down after he goes over the sand bed a couple times.

[mpd525]

will a yellow head jawfish sift the sand. i seen one doing it at a LFS. i was just curious on what other gobies will do the job like a diamond.

[t11t5]

You should start a tank with the rock on the glass then fill in with sand. Thats how I did my 150g reef tank. just my 2 cents...

[reefnetworth]

www.liveaquaria.com has mated diamond goby pairs for only $79.99 plus $29.99 next-day added. go with your LFS for sure. LA has always been a little higher than most others ive compared to. my LFS has exellent prices and deliveries twice a week, just order and you shall recieve without delivery cost, plus i can look at the behavior of the fish before purchase. good luck and REEF-ON!

John, :)