Sand sifter

[Qh2214]

Hello I have a 28g jbj open top. I'm looking for a sand sifting fish or something that can help keep the sand clean.

Current stock list:
Red hawk fish
Starry blenny
Clown fish

Tons of snails

Thanks!

 

[Johniejumbo]

Some of the watchmen gobies are great shifters. Tend to throw sand wherever they want tho. And if you have really fine sand they will make a mess.

 

[cloak]

How deep is your sand bed? I'm not sure how often you do water changes, but your best bet IMO is to just use your finger and stir up small portions at a time. Siphon out what you can and incorporate some sort of mechanical filter for a few hours or so to polish the water for you. You can be much more efficient at keeping that sand bed clean than any fish or invertebrate can be. Plus your not pooping in the very same substrate you wish to keep clean.

 

[KJ]

Decorated goby ( Istigobius decoratus)

 

[Qh2214]

Yeah I was considering a 2 spot goby. My sand bed is about 1 1/2" deep. Water changes every 2-4 weeks

 

[Chris Adams]

How deep is your sand bed? I'm not sure how often you do water changes, but your best bet IMO is to just use your finger and stir up small portions at a time. Siphon out what you can and incorporate some sort of mechanical filter for a few hours or so to polish the water for you. You can be much more efficient at keeping that sand bed clean than any fish or invertebrate can be. Plus your not pooping in the very same substrate you wish to keep clean.

I am with you @cloak

 

[Leadfooted]

Hello I have a 28g jbj open top. I'm looking for a sand sifting fish or something that can help keep the sand clean.

I like them and find then to be very beneficial but my tank also have a few years under it. I also try to stick my hand in the tank as little as possible and have most of my set up on Auto. The sand sifter doesn't stop for very long, always on the move, always keeping the floors clean for everyone. It's a yes for me

 

[sc50964]

In my experience, two spot gobies are typically very hard to keep alive in a home aquarium. Suggest to consider diamond goby.

 

[MicroPico]

In my experience, two spot gobies are typically very hard to keep alive in a home aquarium. Suggest to consider diamond goby.

+1 on the two-spot. I would suggest a sand sifting star, sea cucumber or several bumble bee snails...which actually might clean too well as to strip the sand of bio-life.

 

[sc50964]

1.5" sand bed is actually too thin to have a sifting star or sea cucumber.

 

[MicroPico]

A two-spot can clear an 18 inch diameter spot of sand per day. There is no possible way to keep him from starving in such a small area. Because of their constant eating habits, a 55 gallon aged aquarium is the bare minimum...and even then, its iffy. Do yourself a favor and skip a two-spot. Sea cucumber or sand sifting star is your best bet. Neither one throws sand around or on your corals.

 

[ahiggins]

do you have zombie snails? (nassarius)
also, you could get a brittle starfish-mine loves to dig in the sand.

 

[james983]

I love my Diamond Goby, he does and excellent job keeping the sand clean. He is a lot of fun to watch also. I will agree however, that sometimes he throws sand where you don't want it but I wouldn't have a tank without one.

 

[sc50964]

A two-spot can clear an 18 inch diameter spot of sand per day. There is no possible way to keep him from starving in such a small area. Because of their constant eating habits, a 55 gallon aged aquarium is the bare minimum...and even then, its iffy. Do yourself a favor and skip a two-spot. Sea cucumber or sand sifting star is your best bet. Neither one throws sand around or on your corals.

Wouldn't the 1.5" sand bed and 28g tank be too little for the star or cucumber?

 

[Webslinger]

Diamond goby.

 

[sc50964]

Sand gobies don't only rely on sifting through sand for nutrients, as it's a specie that's more adaptive to fish food. With that said, this tank size and the sand bed thickness doesn't really need a sand shifting animal as regular weekly maintenance would take care of that. It is a nice-to-have option.

 

[Joshua Huff]

I just want to chime in on this, I am sure a decision has been made already. I had a Diamond Goby in my 32 gal tank with an 1.5in sand bed and i lost him today after only 3 months. When i got home from work the hermits were finishing up with him. He has kept my sand bed looking great the whole time and i was very happy with it. I don't think he ever had enough to eat though, his stomach never seemed to really feel out even with eating what he could get from the feedings. The competition may have been to much, I am not sure a tank my size is large enough with my feeding habits. Anyway beware an active fish like this needs plenty of food IMO.