Inverts to stir sand bed

[SlugSnorter]

Some bristleworms are also good at sand sifting (though most hide away in rockwork). If you have none in your tank, you could buy some on eBay, but I have always had them hitchhike on live rock.
Sand dollars are technically an option, but they deplete sandbed biodiversity and subsequently starve, like Horseshoe crabs and Sand-sifting starfish. You could try feeding them sinking pellets, but I would just avoid these three sand-sifters in most cases.
Finally, Cleaner clams require frequent phytoplankton dosage, so they would also not be ideal.

any fish that mainly eats sand critters are tricky customers to deal with, and not the best for an only sand cleaning role. stuff that eats both sand life and is fine bottom feeding tend to be best for it is current idea of the rule of thumb

 

[SlugSnorter]

I've got plenty of bristleworms. It used to be when I fed the tank they would crawl out from everywhere. It was cool and alarming all at the same time. Since getting a wrasse they now only come out at night.

thats good! they are helping your sand out, this will lower the risk of issues when the bed gets stirred

 

[CanuckReefer]

So do they all have the ability to nuke a tank, or is it just certain ones? All of my powerheads are up near the surface so I doubt being chopped up would be much of a risk.

Here ya go.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/are-sea-cucumbers-right-for-your-tank.762927/

 

[Gtinnel]

any fish that mainly eats sand critters are tricky customers to deal with, and not the best for an only sand cleaning role. stuff that eats both sand life and is fine bottom feeding tend to be best for it is current idea of the rule of thumb

It is somewhat ironic that many of the creatures that are best at doing a specific job end up dying because they do that specific job too well and run out of food.
I will actively avoid anything that has to have supplemental feeding. I may start off feeding them but I'll get lazy and eventually stop.

 

[SlugSnorter]

It is somewhat ironic that many of the creatures that are best at doing a specific job end up dying because they do that specific job too well and run out of food.
I will actively avoid anything that has to have supplemental feeding. I may start off feeding them but I'll get lazy and eventually stop.

i suppose thats a way of doing it, although some things need supplemental feeding and will take it up fine and keep being cool (dusters, lettuces)

 

[Gtinnel]

i suppose thats a way of doing it, although some things need supplemental feeding and will take it up fine and keep being cool (dusters, lettuces)

I can have good intentions of feeding some cool invert, but I know myself well enough to know I'll eventually stop, ecspecially if it's a pain to feed. If all I have to do is drop some sinking pellets in while feeding the fish then I'd probably keep up with that....actually no I'd just use an auto feeder. If I had to specifically target feed near the invert there is no chance I'd keep up with that long term.
I am at least honest enough about myself to know that and not buy an animal that will suffer because of it.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I can have good intentions of feeding some cool invert, but I know myself well enough to know I'll eventually stop, ecspecially if it's a pain to feed. If all I have to do is drop some sinking pellets in while feeding the fish then I'd probably keep up with that....actually no I'd just use an auto feeder. If I had to specifically target feed near the invert there is no chance I'd keep up with that long term.
I am at least honest enough about myself to know that and not buy an animal that will suffer because of it.

You have a respectable level of self knowledge, its great that you understand the challenges of the hobby, and dont go overboard

 

[Gtinnel]

You have a respectable level of self knowledge, its great that you understand the challenges of the hobby, and dont go overboard

It has taken me many years of this hobby and unfortunately several animals had to suffer before my epiphany that I truly am lazy.

 

[SlugSnorter]

It has taken me many years of this hobby and unfortunately several animals had to suffer before my epiphany that I truly am lazy.

I wish you luck in the quest for accidentally stumbling on a future spot feeding auto-feeder

 

[Gtinnel]

I wish you luck in the quest for accidentally stumbling on a future spot feeding auto-feeder

Boy wouldn't that be awesome. Actually it wouldn't need to find the animal to feed it, I just need an animal smart enough to learn where to go for food. My fish have mostly figured it out.

 

[CanuckReefer]

It has taken me many years of this hobby and unfortunately several animals had to suffer before my epiphany that I truly am lazy.

You too eh? Yep.... a few decades for me to finally realize less work was going to work out better for my tank, mental well being, and pocketbook. Guess you could say I've learned my wheelhouse now and stick to it.

 

[Gtinnel]

You too eh? Yep.... a few decades for me to finally realize less work was going to work out better for my tank, mental well being, and pocketbook. Guess you could say I've learned my wheelhouse now and stick to it.

I started about 20 years ago with a tank that I did everything manually and that tank never did all that well. I left the hobby for about 10 years and when I came back I've automated almost everything that I could automate, and this tank is doing so much better. I attribute a lot of it to stability from the automation.

 

[CanuckReefer]

I started about 20 years ago with a tank that I did everything manually and that tank never did all that well. I left the hobby for about 10 years and when I came back I've automated almost everything that I could automate, and this tank is doing so much better. I attribute a lot of it to stability from the automation.

Ah ha, makes sense! For myself it was stripping a few things away one by one year over year. Used to run a cannister at the start, they are great and all but I was lazy about cleaning it, so gone. Skimmer same, so gone, a few other things along the way. My tank is fairly basic in terms of corals, just easily maintained ones and I loaded up on more inverts to ease the workload on myself and put more on them. As you allude to, many of them are no need to feed, they get that all from the system. Strawberry Conch, Brittle Stars, Sand Sifting Star, a couple urchins, various snail species, Shrimp and the Sea Cuc... works for me now. More enjoyable.