Detritus eaters and movers for DSB

[keddre]

I have a Deep sand bed that's half a year now and is slowly showing some life between the little red worms and some mystery worm/cucumber that cruises alomg the top. My current problem is that I have a few heavy poopers in my tank and parts of my tank are starting to look like manure pits where they live. Other than my trusty turkey baster, I was wondering if anyone knows something that will turn over part of my sand bed without killing it? I currently have recruited the help of two nassarius snails, a conch, a bumblebee snail and an army of hermits, but they can't get the job done alone. Thanks in advance

 

[aKlevans]

I have a Deep sand bed that's half a year now and is slowly showing some life between the little red worms and some mystery worm/cucumber that cruises alomg the top. My current problem is that I have a few heavy poopers in my tank and parts of my tank are starting to look like manure pits where they live. Other than my trusty turkey baster, I was wondering if anyone knows something that will turn over part of my sand bed without killing it? I currently have recruited the help of two nassarius snails, a conch, a bumblebee snail and an army of hermits, but they can't get the job done alone. Thanks in advance

Diamond goby will stir up the top layer real good.

 

[keddre]

Diamond goby will stir up the top layer real good.

That reminds me that I have a pistol shrimp and watchman too that keep my right side clean.

I was looking at the diamond, but I saw a couple things were people said the goby did too well and the dsb crashed

 

[aKlevans]

That reminds me that I have a pistol shrimp and watchman too that keep my right side clean.

I was looking at the diamond, but I saw a couple things were people said the goby did too well and the dsb crashed

I forgot, that would probably happen if the sandbed was already mature.

 

[Rip Van Winkle]

Keddre, I also have DSBs in my system. I think if people have DSBs, they have them for a reason. Maybe you keep livestock that needs it or you use it for filtration? In my case it's both. Basically, I'm assuming that you also want a place to keep pods? So if you put a sand sifter in there that's too efficient, it will just deplete the DSB of any life. Not something desirable.

For my DSB, I use a bunch of critters: A black sea cucumber about 2" long. It drags it's feeding tentacles along the sand cleaning it, then poops out totally clean sand. I also use serpentine stars or brittle stars depending on what you call them. These stars like to hide under rocks with just their arms extended out into the water. If you get these, don't get the green color ones. I've heard they are predatory. Mine are detritus eaters only.
I use hermits but not many and very very small ones. Nassarius snails. Also, we have native abalones here that are very small - about 1.5". They tunnel under the sand.
Maybe you can look into getting a pair of twin spot signal gobies. But if you already have a watchman, that might not work in the same tank. (similar fish) I also have a yellow watchman goby and tiger pistol shrimp.
I also have several other varieties of snails and limpets but that's mainly for the glass. The other thing you might like is using seagrass. The runners under/in the sandbed will make use of all the nutrients trapped under there. I have turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum) which is basically like grass on one's lawn. You can trim it just like is done in a FW tank.
My sandbed is 10" to 8" deep - varying in some areas - and I've never vacuumed or cleaned it and it's spotless. It's full of amphipods and copepods.

 

[keddre]

Maybe you keep livestock that needs it or you use it for filtration?

Both like you. I was for my 2 engineer gobies, but the two I got were bullies so my pistol shrimp has free reign over it now. He goes pretty deep too. I also use it for filtration, because I've done that since my freshwater days.

My sandbed is 10" to 8" deep - varying in some areas

Again, ditto.

A black sea cucumber about 2" long

I was actually thinking about a cucumber, It doesn't overturn so much to kill everything?

abalones here that are very small - about 1.5". They tunnel under the sand.

I'll look into these, never heard of them.

The other thing you might like is using seagrass. The runners under/in the sandbed will make use of all the nutrients trapped under there.

I'll add it to my list. Thanks for your input

 

[Rip Van Winkle]

I was actually thinking about a cucumber, It doesn't overturn so much to kill everything?

Not really solid enough or strong enough to knock anything over. They can get up to 16" in. long or so. Get a small one, maybe just two or three in. max. What stopped me from getting them was that I understood that if they die, they can release toxins in the water and nuke an entire tank. Similar to a sea apple. Now that I've read up a little though, it seems to indicate that that's rarely the case. Most of the time they starve to death in aquariums. When they don't get enough nutrition they just keep shrinking and shrinking.

I'll look into these, never heard of them.

I've never seen them in North America. Only time I ever saw them was down here.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I would add more Nassy snails and Cerith snails honestly, mine do a really good job keeping things in check without overdoing it.