Sand Sidting Seastar Replacement?

[gtrider]

hello!

I have a 65g mixed reef w a 2.5” sandbed. I’ve had a sand sifting seastar in it for a year. He seems to be doing fine but I’ve been reading about them starving and also deprecating the sand bed.

Would you recommend I remove him? What would be an alternative to keep my SB clean?

 

[Gareth elliott]

Sand sifting stars are not really great tank inhabitants besides their survival rates. Even if they live, they remove the benefits of even having sand. The good or the bad they eat it all.
I prefer creatures which stir the sand while eating detritus as opposed to ones that eat the microorganisms in the sand itself.
-Fighting conch
-cerith snails
-cucumber

Are some more appropriate cleanup crews for sand imo.

 

[nguye829]

Have you thought about getting a diamond goby?

 

[gtrider]

@Gareth elliott thanks! How many cerith would you recommend for a 65g w a 2.5” SB?

@nguye829 ive been thinking about a fish that dwells on the SB. I’ll look more into the diamond goby.

 

[kswan]

Have you thought about getting a diamond goby?

A diamond goby keeps the majority of my 90 looking very clean. You would need A LOT of snails to have the same impact.

 

[Gareth elliott]

@Gareth elliott thanks! How many cerith would you recommend for a 65g w a 2.5” SB?

@nguye829 ive been thinking about a fish that dwells on the SB. I’ll look more into the diamond goby.

I would start around 15, see how it goes add till achieve the desired results.

Fighting conchs will also keep the top of the sand bed clean as they travel. Same effect as some larger hermit species but less bulldozer, and not opportunistic like a crab lol.