Nassarius Snails and Sand Cleaning

[Michael Rossi]

I have been cleaning my sandbed while performing water changes. Today I picked up some Nassarius snails. I’m assuming it’s still a good idea to clean the bed while doing water changes, right?

 

[NashobaTek]

Yep it's a good idea.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I don’t clean my sandbed

 

[AdamNC]

I never clean the sandbed, that’s what I have snails and crabs for.

 

[DaddyFish]

I only clean my sandbed when the puffers have wiped out all my snails. I periodically agitate the sand unless the dang goby has piled it all up.
Nassarius snails are awesome cleanup critters, but they are escape artists. Find them walking down the tank stand, hanging upside down inside filter housings, all sorts of weird places. I call them all Gary.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Get a sand sifting cucumber, your sand bed will sparkle

 

[Crashnt24]

Get a sand sifting cucumber, your sand bed will sparkle

Never heard of one before. I'm going to check it out

 

[Gobi-Wan]

I have been cleaning my sandbed while performing water changes. Today I picked up some Nassarius snails. I’m assuming it’s still a good idea to clean the bed while doing water changes, right?

Nassarius snails are great but won’t cut it. I have a 125, 6’ tank and a single 3” diamond goby keeps the whole sandbed turned over. From all my research I have never heard of another cleanup crew member that competes with a diamond goby. I could of course be very wrong but not about how hard a diamond goby works. Very very hard worker. I have white sand 24/7 and I never touch it.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Never heard of one before. I'm going to check it out

Nassarius snails are great but won’t cut it. I have a 125, 6’ tank and a single 3” diamond goby keeps the whole sandbed turned over. From all my research I have never heard of another cleanup crew member that competes with a diamond goby. I could of course be very wrong but not about how hard a diamond goby works. Very very hard worker. I have white sand 24/7 and I never touch it.

Heres some diamond goby competition! This guy just eats sand all day everyday

 

[LRT]

Heres some diamond goby competition! This guy just eats sand all day everyday

Thanks for sharing I'm going to look into this now.
I do have a sea hare that basically does the same thing but cant keep up.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Nassarius snails are great but won’t cut it. I have a 125, 6’ tank and a single 3” diamond goby keeps the whole sandbed turned over. From all my research I have never heard of another cleanup crew member that competes with a diamond goby. I could of course be very wrong but not about how hard a diamond goby works. Very very hard worker. I have white sand 24/7 and I never touch it.

I had one before for a short period of time before went carpet diving. He worked really hard but it made a mess everywhere as I got corals on the sandbed. So if you don’t, he’s definitely one of the best choice

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I have maybe around 15 nassarius, two sifting starts, couple of conch so far so good for sandbed

 

[Fishingandreefing]

120g

 

[MightyMO]

Thanks for sharing I'm going to look into this now.
I do have a sea hare that basically does the same thing but cant keep up.

I have a sea hare also, I have to feed him algae along with my tang, they both hammer down two sheets of that stuff in a night!!! Lol

 

[LRT]

My nassarius snails only burrow in the sand and come up for food when I feed my system. My wife literally feeds them mysis shrimp with chopsticks.
Not sure what they do about algae if anything besides maybe stir the bed and make it look good wherever they ascend and descend into the sand.

Mexican turbos are real good algae mowers you can literally watch the algae string off there back as they plow through the algae. And aren't afraid to get on the rocks.

My Sea Hare prefers the sand as I think its easiest to pass through its system as you can literally watch it drop sand pellets in its wake while its sweeps clean any and all sand in its path.

 

[MightyMO]

I may have to get me one of those cucumbers... can't keep enough pods in the tank for a goby... I got a couple "garys" in my tank also...

 

[LRT]

I may have to get me one of those cucumbers... can't keep enough pods in the tank for a goby... I got a couple "garys" in my tank also...

Yup I'm getting me one to lol

 

[Michael Rossi]

Wow. Thanks for all relies. A cucumber is next on my list along with sand sifting stars (LFS didn’t have them or couldn’t find them when I was there). I don’t mind cleaning the sand as well. I’m more concerned about hurting Gary not knowing he’s under the sand where I’m about to clean.

 

[Kjeldh]

Diamond gobies, sand sifting stars and a fighting conchs have provided me with the best sand turnover

 

[Michael Rossi]

With the new fish and coral added yesterday, I didn't want to disturb the tank and found I was able to do a 10 gallon water change from the sump. A lot easier that way lol. Makes me wonder if I can get enough turnover on the sand bed with the suggestions above. My last tank (15 years ago) died in part to (I believe) never cleaning the sand bed for two years and then having everything disturbed during a move (I now know I didn't perform the move the right way either). I want to be sure I keep the bed nice and clean this time around. I also don't like looking at the green/yellow/pink/brown discoloration it eventually gets.