how do you guys keep a clean sand bed

[krash7172]

Ah cool. I thought the 2nd pic was them. Are there different types? Anyway, good news

 

[Soupbone]

Diamond goby.

I have the Diamond goby in my tank and I regret ever putting him in there. I’m in the process of trying to remove him without turning it into a massive task. He definitely kept the sand clean but he keeps stirring up the sand and redesigning the bed, throwing sand all over everything and that I hate. He has got to go.

 

[madweazl]

I have the Diamond goby in my tank and I regret ever putting him in there. I’m in the process of trying to remove him without turning it into a massive task. He definitely kept the sand clean but he keeps stirring up the sand and redesigning the bed, throwing sand all over everything and that I hate. He has got to go.

The reason you hate them is the vary reason I keep them LOL. I love seeing the shifting sand "features" and I don't like corals sitting on the sand bed so that isn't a factor for me.

 

[Katrina71]

Spaghetti Worm, They are good guys!

My Grinch

 

[Afrashz]

Once you have a solid population of spaghetti worms they do a heck of a job keeping everything clean. I also got a really strong Clean up crew from Reef Cleaners. They have packages and are correctly sized! Robert is one heck of a guy over there! I have a 75 Gallon and couldn't be happier compared to my last tank this one is sparkling clean!

Cleaner Packages - Reef Cleaners

A list of all of our algae eating saltwater cleaner packs. They are all reef safe.

www.reefcleaners.org

That’s pretty Awsome, never heard of these guys

 

[Gareth elliott]

Another vote for cucumbers. Almost as hardy as brittle stars. Do not deplete a sand bed like sand sifting stars. And if they grow to a size that is not supported by the sand they split. Gift or sell the second one and the process begins anew.

 

[sfin52]

Sand tiger conch

 

[lmm1967]

iv got a six line wrasse in QT ready to go into DT in 10 days" do six lines wont sand

and don't taking all the sand out your tank remove most the beneficial bacteria ? and then you get algae blooms

my tank is only running 3 months and no coral yet

six lines don't care about sand. They will find a hole in a rock, secret a "cocoon" of slime around themselves and sleep.

 

[S2G]

Another vote for cucumbers. Almost as hardy as brittle stars. Do not deplete a sand bed like sand sifting stars. And if they grow to a size that is not supported by the sand they split. Gift or sell the second one and the process begins anew.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought cucumbers weren't sustainable with the amount they eat.

 

[lmm1967]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought cucumbers weren't sustainable with the amount they eat.

I have a yellow cucumber tha has been in a 30 gallon for 3+ years. Healthy as can be. See him routinely.

And a Tiger Tail in our 120 - had not seen him for 9 months, thought he may have perished. He showed up on the glass one evening last week.

Both tanks have about a 2" sand bed.

 

[S2G]

I have a yellow cucumber tha has been in a 30 gallon for 3+ years. Healthy as can be. See him routinely.

And a Tiger Tail in our 120 - had not seen him for 9 months, thought he may have perished. He showed up on the glass one evening last week.

Both tanks have about a 2" sand bed.

Oh Ok. Ive wanted one for awhile but I always heard that about them. Probably confusion with a sea hare

 

[lmm1967]

Sea hairs will starve after some point in time in our tanks typically.

I've "rented" one from a LFS - those things TEAR through algae quickly!

 

[Squidward]

Another vote for cucumbers. Almost as hardy as brittle stars. Do not deplete a sand bed like sand sifting stars. And if they grow to a size that is not supported by the sand they split. Gift or sell the second one and the process begins anew.

I have a yellow cucumber tha has been in a 30 gallon for 3+ years. Healthy as can be. See him routinely.

And a Tiger Tail in our 120 - had not seen him for 9 months, thought he may have perished. He showed up on the glass one evening last week.

Both tanks have about a 2" sand bed.

Is it just a certain type of Cucumbers that can release toxins in your tank? I'm only afraid of that.

 

[MabuyaQ]

+1 one on the Holothuroidea. They are reefsafe as long as they don't end up in a meatgrinder streamer accident.
The two species I prefer because they stay rather small and don't stay hidden all the time are 1 Holothuria edulis and 2 Holothuria atra.

 

[Midrats]

For all you folks with cucumbers, what size sand do you have? In my experience, cucumbers prefer sand on the finer size.

 

[CoralWealth]

wrasses dont attack sea cucumbers?

 

[lmm1967]

wrasses dont attack sea cucumbers?

not in my experience. Yellow Coris & 6 line have both been housed with both of my cucumbers at various times - never any interaction.

I think pretty much everything knows to leave cucumbers alone.

Once settled - they typically don't wander around the glass. I have found my yellow cucumber wrapped around a powerhead believe it or not - he did not get sucked in and was just fine. If it had been a very powerful powerhead he probably would have been toast.

IME - they are less danger than most anemones.

 

[krash7172]

One thing to try if your diamond goby is making larger piles/depth of sand than you want is to simply remove some sand.

 

[johnj]

how about a Bicolour goatfish to keep sand stirred up and reef safe!

 

[icedearth15324]

Is it just a certain type of Cucumbers that can release toxins in your tank? I'm only afraid of that.

I'm pretty sure all cucumbers can release toxins if they die or get severely stressed. I could be wrong though.