Best clean up crew for a sand bed!

[crimble]

Hello I have a 40 gallon breeder it's about 8 months old now i just got my first bubble tip anemone, its estableshed with 2 clowns, 6 line wrasse, fire fish, 3 red leg hermits, mexican turbo snail, astrea snail, nesarius snail,the rock and sand were already established before i bought the tank so its been cycled for a while , I was wondering what everybody's opinion was on a sand bed cuc, I like the way a diamond spotted goby looks but not sure If it's a good Pick, so just wanna hear recommendations on your favorite clean up crews thanks! Examples fighting conch, diamond goby sand sifting starfish etc.

 

[Purpletang92]

Tbh the best cleaner will be you as the owner, even with sand sifters you still have to maintain the sand bed yourself. Vacuum the sand bed with a gravel vac into a filter sock in the sump.

 

[crimble]

Tbh the best cleaner will be you as the owner, even with sand sifters you still have to maintain the sand bed yourself. Vacuum the sand bed with a gravel vac into a filter sock in the sump.

Yes I already do this thankyou. Any other recommendations?

 

[Sphyrna_gal]

I also have this same question and a 40B. I've been looking into conchs? People seem to like the tiger/ strawberry conchs.. I ordered a conch to try from reef cleaners but unfortunately it didn't make it through the shipping so didn't get to see how well it did.. still mulling over a conch- they are large and may knock over/down some of my lower corals so I am looking for other options.

Sleeper gobies or diamond gobies are a sifting option but some of them get quite large and again running the issue of having lower sitting or sand bed dwelling corals being covered by sand as they sift it.

They do have other snail/sand bed cleaner options on reef cleaners website that I wonder if other people have experience with? Like the Babylon Snail, dwarf planaxis, or the marginella snail? Not sure if they are much different than a nassarius snails in their effectiveness?

 

[VintageReefer]

I haven’t cleaned my sandbed in 10 years. It’s never been vacuumed. It’s bright white

75g tank, it ranges from 2-5” of sand depth. Nassarius do a good job but what really made the difference for me was a fighting conch. I joke and say he’s the hardest worker in my tank. It burrows, stirs, and cleans all day long. Never goes on rock or glass, or just cleans sand round the clock

My 15g was having sand issues, the fighting conch I felt was too large, i got a strawberry conch and he keeps it clean and stirred

 

[JoJosReef]

For a 40, I'd recommend two tiger/strawberry/bear conches rather than a fighting conch. Smaller and better able to squeeze between spaces, since you'll be more space limited as the tank fills up. They put in work, too.

Also note, a pitho crab or two will help sith bubble algae and actually do an excellent job of stirring the sand as they like to burrow, move, burrow, move.

Overnight shipping has worked pretty well for me from ReefCleaners. I order in a group to split shipping costs.

 

[Sawacoral]

I also have this same question and a 40B. I've been looking into conchs? People seem to like the tiger/ strawberry conchs.. I ordered a conch to try from reef cleaners but unfortunately it didn't make it through the shipping so didn't get to see how well it did.. still mulling over a conch- they are large and may knock over/down some of my lower corals so I am looking for other options.

Sleeper gobies or diamond gobies are a sifting option but some of them get quite large and again running the issue of having lower sitting or sand bed dwelling corals being covered by sand as they sift it.

They do have other snail/sand bed cleaner options on reef cleaners website that I wonder if other people have experience with? Like the Babylon Snail, dwarf planaxis, or the marginella snail? Not sure if they are much different than a nassarius snails in their effectiveness?

I really enjoy both my tiger conches. You may only need one for a tank your size. They work hard and are animated and fun to watch.

 

[slingfox]

Blue Dot Sleeper Goby is a small sand sifting fish which sifts very close to the sand bed so does not make a huge mess. Very peaceful species too!

 

[Purpletang92]

Yes I already do this thankyou. Any other recommendations?

Get cerith snails I have them in my reef , they sleep in the sand during the day and come out at night, they will turn the sand over as they move about. Plus they stay small, any species will do.

 

[alpenreef]

Diamond goby. Nothing has a bigger impact.

 

[Sphyrna_gal]

Ended up adding a ~3" gold/yellow headed sleeper goby..so far he is doing a fantastic job sifting the sand bed. Funny enough, looks like is going to share a burrow with my yellow watchman goby

 

[Singspot]

Bicolor goatfish stirs my sand bed with it's goaties! Cleans all corners and crevices...

Wonder anyone else has one ..

 

[slingfox]

[Double post]

 

[Singspot]

Ended up adding a ~3" gold/yellow headed sleeper goby..so far he is doing a fantastic job sifting the sand bed. Funny enough, looks like is going to share a burrow with my yellow watchman goby

My diamond Gobies have been BEST. But they are very scared of my tang gang. All survived first 6 to 9 months but do not survive past 1 year ...

If one survived, I would keep Dimond Gobi

But don't these sand sisters hurt the sand fauna ans biomes? I have a mandarin that I really like and it relies on pods from biome to survive...

 

[timmyrules]

I wouldn’t recommend gobies, they tend to make a burrow, and then not ever leave the burrow. Don’t get me wrong here, I love gobies, I have multiple…but don’t get them for sand-sifting purposes. The best sand cleaner I have ever had was a tiger tail cucumber, but there is a bunch of miss information out there that scares people out of getting them.

 

[Sphyrna_gal]

I wouldn’t recommend gobies, they tend to make a burrow, and then not ever leave the burrow. Don’t get me wrong here, I love gobies, I have multiple…but don’t get them for sand-sifting purposes. The best sand cleaner I have ever had was a tiger tail cucumber, but there is a bunch of miss information out there that scares people out of getting them.

Ha! Yeah, definitely the case here so I am back at square one again/doing it myself. My sleeper and yellow watchman are the best of friends in the burrow they don't often leave though

A lot of people on here are conch fans. so maaaaaybe? Haven't seen much on the cucumber will have to look into that

 

[Sphyrna_gal]

My diamond Gobies have been BEST. But they are very scared of my tang gang. All survived first 6 to 9 months but do not survive past 1 year ...

If one survived, I would keep Dimond Gobi

But don't these sand sisters hurt the sand fauna ans biomes? I have a mandarin that I really like and it relies on pods from biome to survive...

I am not sure on the sifting opinions these days. I have known people in the past at old LFS who were team "DON'T TOUCH THE SAND" and then others who are using gravel vacs regularly to clean theirs. I think having sand sifters would be more natural or a middle ground to both.

I also have a mandarin who even though he eats frozen I dose various live pods monthly (from algae barn) to help feed him as well as boost my refugium/live rock. *My tank is also newer than a lot of folks on here would 'allow' for a mandarin so I won't get into that LOL. I've also seen people say adding pods helps with eating excess nutrients that a sand sifter would do.. ?