Sand amount for most fish?

Pittsford_Pets · Jan 16, 2018

What’re the best amounts of sand for a 40g? I’m planning to keep some cool burrowing species, like pistol shrimp, maybe keep my conch, and maybe a sand sifting star when the tank is mature. Do they prefer fine sand or coarse? I have Carib Sea Aragonite in my 10 gallon and the conch/pistol can move that easily. I also read some sea stars can suffocate in the finer sand.

Live or dry? I have 10lbs if now live aragonite, and I’m going for a speedy cycle.

eatbreakfast · Jan 16, 2018

2" should suffice for most of what you plan.

I would advise against a sand sifting star. They deplete the sandbed of microfauna that helps keep the tank clean and stable.

Pittsford_Pets · Jan 16, 2018

eatbreakfast said:
2" should suffice for most of what you plan.

I would advise against a sand sifting star. They deplete the sandbed of microfauna that helps keep the tank clean and stable.

Thanks! I’ve heard that about them. I had one before my tank crashed, but he went to the LFS for that reason. What’s their usual tank life-span, I don’t mean their max in a tank, just the average. I had mine fr a good 5 months.

Paul B · Jan 16, 2018

Pistol shrimp prefer gravel or course sand to dig in. They use bits of broken urchin shell, broken corals and other things to help keep the roof up in their burrows that in my tank can span 6'. I am not sure they can make a decent tunnel in regular sand. They burry all over the place and will cause corals and rocks to move. I had to move my entire structure back due to their digging. After a few years everything is in a different place. I had a spawning pair that lived with a watchman goby. They lived about 5 years then all 3 disappeared, I am not sure if their tunnel collapsed but that's what I think being they all left on the same day.

Pittsford_Pets · Jan 16, 2018

Paul B said:
Pistol shrimp prefer gravel or course sand to dig in. They use bits of broken urchin shell, broken corals and other things to help keep the roof up in their burrows that in my tank can span 6'. I am not sure they can make a decent tunnel in regular sand. They burry all over the place and will cause corals and rocks to move. I had to move my entire structure back due to their digging. After a few years everything is in a different place. I had a spawning pair that lived with a watchman goby. They lived about 5 years then all 3 disappeared, I am not sure if their tunnel collapsed but that's what I think being they all left on the same day.

That’s really cool! Thanks for the info on the urchin shells and huge tunnel system, I had no idea. Mine is paired with a yellow watchman in my 10g, and both just sit under the same rock all day. Do they prefer a few shrimp together or being alone?

Paul B · Jan 16, 2018

I have kept them both ways and I don't think it matters.

nautical_nathaniel · Jan 16, 2018

Pittsford_Pets said:
Thanks! I’ve heard that about them. I had one before my tank crashed, but he went to the LFS for that reason. What’s their usual tank life-span, I don’t mean their max in a tank, just the average. I had mine fr a good 5 months.

I've had my sand sifting starfish for over two years now, nearly lost it when I had a red reef lobster for a while, but it has since grown its arms back and fattened back up.

nautical_nathaniel · Jan 16, 2018

I have around 2 inches of sand throughout my aquarium. It is the caribsea fiji pink sand so it is somewhere in between coarse and fine. My pistol shrimp seems to love it but I have also kept a ton of small shells in the tank that it uses to line the edge of its burrow. If it didn't have those shells I think it would have a much harder time maintaining its burrow.

don_chuwish · Jan 17, 2018

Paul B said:
Pistol shrimp prefer gravel or course sand to dig in. They use bits of broken urchin shell, broken corals and other things to help keep the roof up in their burrows that in my tank can span 6'. I am not sure they can make a decent tunnel in regular sand. They burry all over the place and will cause corals and rocks to move. I had to move my entire structure back due to their digging. After a few years everything is in a different place. I had a spawning pair that lived with a watchman goby. They lived about 5 years then all 3 disappeared, I am not sure if their tunnel collapsed but that's what I think being they all left on the same day.

I'm betting they finally chiseled down below your under-gravel filter and now run a basement Jazz club where all the other missing critters have nightly jam sessions.

Instigate · Jan 17, 2018

Paul B said:
Pistol shrimp prefer gravel or course sand to dig in. They use bits of broken urchin shell, broken corals and other things to help keep the roof up in their burrows that in my tank can span 6'. I am not sure they can make a decent tunnel in regular sand. They burry all over the place and will cause corals and rocks to move. I had to move my entire structure back due to their digging. After a few years everything is in a different place. I had a spawning pair that lived with a watchman goby. They lived about 5 years then all 3 disappeared, I am not sure if their tunnel collapsed but that's what I think being they all left on the same day.

dang LFS told me I needed 4" of sugar sand... Oh well.