Stirring sand without sand stirrer crew and without killing your fish

[siniang]

Hi,

so, I keep wondering what to do about my sand in lack of a proper cleanup crew (because my trigger would eat them). I know I have to stirr my sand bed myself, but how often? I also think I already have gas buildup, so I'm a little worried of actually doing it and in the process potentially killing my fish?

Thanks for any advice!

Sand depth:

 

[scobeyra]

Take a turkey Baster and blow directly into the sand. I do small patches every few days so I don't release too much at once

 

[lzrlvr]

That is why you need a poking stick to stir the sand

 

[Flippers4pups]

How deep is the sand bed?

 

[SmokeyGnar]

I’m my 40 every six months I drain the tank completely, removing the fish coral and rock, and give the whole bed a good stir. In a larger tank this might not be possible

 

[Maggie321]

I agree with the turkey baster in small sections of the sand bed. You could do a couple pumps of the bulb through the sand bed when you feed at night. If your tank has a healthy pod population you could get a sand sifting goby too. Doubt a trigger would eat that, right?

 

[67chevellemalibu2]

I have a Diamond Goby in my 125 and that fish is awesome. Thoroughly cleans the sand and is fun to watch.

 

[Jesterrace]

I have a Diamond Goby in my 125 and that fish is awesome. Thoroughly cleans the sand and is fun to watch.

Agreed, is the trigger big enough to eat one?

 

[Maggie321]

Agreed, is the trigger big enough to eat one?

I think typically triggers like crunchy things. They are more of a crab/clam snacker than a fish snacker. They will also eat stars I think. But if they are small when they first get them and they "grow up" around crunchy things, and if they are well fed during that time so they don't have to hunt, they might not eat them anyway. I think a diamond goby would be ok. But I am far from an expert on that.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Hi,

so, I keep wondering what to do about my sand in lack of a proper cleanup crew (because my trigger would eat them). I know I have to stirr my sand bed myself, but how often? I also think I already have gas buildup, so I'm a little worried of actually doing it and in the process potentially killing my fish?

Thanks for any advice!

Sand depth:

Based on your other post about nitrite problems and dosing prime to keep ammonia in check, I wouldn't worry about stirring you sand bed. Just leave it alone for now.

 

[User1]

There was a thread in the general sub forum I believe, forget who started it, but in there they discuss sand beds and how to sort of turn it over. Maybe search on deep sand bed or @brandon429 since I think that is who started it. It is a good read and shows some of the tools they use. Apologies I don't have the link handy.

 

[siniang]

Thank you kindly for all the advice and replies!

I'm not sure I can get a goby (eventually, when my tank is fully cycled) in addition to the fish I have (or still had planned to get). I'm not sure the humu would attack a goby - he's charging at the blenny, but the blenny can fight back.

Sand bed depth is maybe somewhere between 2 and 3 inch. I tried to attach a picture earlier, but for some reason it doesn't show. Here you can see it: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/too-much-sand.385414/

Ok, I'll look into a turkey blaster