Best sand cleaning invert

[johnyboy]

Hey guys

I need to buy something to maintain my sand bed. What are the best choices for this ? I had a sand sifting starfish but something was eating him so I need a new invert to care for my sand bed. Any ideas? Thanks

Reef on [emoji225][emoji226][emoji886]

 

[nvolkern]

I have a conch snail, he does wonders! But he does sleep for days at a time so sometimes half the tank sand is gorgeous and the other half is a bit messy

 

[bif24701]

What about a fish?

Diamond Goby, many folks have them and they will do it.

 

[Orm Embar]

I have nassarius snails, which help. I still get cyano in corners (not anywhere besides the sandbed which makes me think that nutrients are getting trapped), but with stirring of that sand then it goes away and doesn't seem to come back for a while. It's a shallow sandbed, so I don't worry about hydrogen sulfide.

I have heard that sandsifting stars are very effective, but I've also read that they consume tons of the sandbed microfauna so I have avoided them.

I only have 4 or 5 nassarius snails, so I plan on buying more. They are cool to watch, as during feeding time they "surface" like a submarine!

 

[Mike N]

+1 to suggestions so far.
You could also try a pistol shrimp, they regularly turn the sand bordering their burrows.

 

[Takeabreakhaveakitkat_]

U have 3 conchs and nassarius snails as above.. they all do a fantastic job

 

[watchguy123]

A wonderful choice are queen or fighting conches. Nassarius snails are just ok. Sand sifting gobies tend to eat critters in the sand that you might not want eaten and often they ultimately run out of that food source

 

[SDReefer]

Go to 4:57

 

[DSC reef]

I'd avoid the sand sifting starfish. Most of them starve after depleting the fauna and end up rotting under the sand bed which contributes to more nutrients and more cyano. Nothing replaces good husbandry but a couple conchs and nassarius is what I'd reccomend. How many of each is depending on your tank size.

 

[danschoenherr]

Sand sifting goby gives you a beautiful sandbed, but your sand will end up everywhere, like all over your corals.

 

[Butitor]

I tried sand shifting star fish, snails, gobies and shrimps without any luck. Got lucky on sea cucumber, its an amazing sand shifter ; eats cyano and all the gunk my sand bed is so cleean more than I expected.
Here's the link https://www.saltwaterfish.com/product-tiger-tail-cucumber

 

[Joseph Pagnotta]

IMO A Diamond Goby Will Turn over a 4inch sandbed in a 55 gallon reef tank with 10 days. They never stop, plus bonus it will always be out and about.

 

[TheSeaAndMe]

Baby horseshoe crab! Hands down the best sandsifter I have owned!

 

[jd371]

+1 on the Conch. Does a great job on my sand. From time to time he will disappear for a day or two, the longest for me was about a week.

Here he is going to town on the glass.

 

[CodyRVA]

+1 on fighting conch, they do work. Keep in mind they will absolutely bull doze lose shells, rocks, or frags you have on your sand bed and will sometimes need help getting out of tight spaces between your rock work.

+1 on diamond goby, cool little fish. I can't say I have a lot of issues with sand getting everywhere, but many have reported this issue.

 

[Flameback Pair]

This video at 10:50 sand bed microfauna:

 

[ThunderGoose]

I have one fighting conch in my 55 - could I add a second? Or will they fight?

 

[Takeabreakhaveakitkat_]

I have one fighting conch in my 55 - could I add a second? Or will they fight?

I have 3 in my tank, they never bother each other

 

[najer]

Dove snails if you can get them + conch.

 

[Rip Van Winkle]

For me it would either be a watchman goby / pistol shrimp or several Blue Dot Jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti) but maybe the Yellow Head Jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons) is more common and cheaper.
If you're going to have these kinds of inhabitants, you need to make sure they have enough food to eat.

Most people don't realize that simple amphipods are excellent detritus eaters and will live in your sandbed. So maybe another possible option.