What's best for sifting the substrate?

[shanelyn]

I have a 190 litre tank, been up and running for approx 6 months. I have a pair of clowns, a couple of blue-green chromis, a few hermit crabs and a few snails. One cleaner shrimp and an algae blenny. Can anyone advise on the best creature/fish to sift the sand please.
Thanks

 

[Paul B]

Duck Billed Platypus, Oh,, Wait, they are freshwater. Never mind.

I would go with a goatfish

 

[booth2010]

sand sifting starfish are purty good or Nassarius snails

 

[Humblefish]

Can't beat a diamond goby IMHO. Just be sure you have a very secure lid (they can jump thru eggcrate) and no bottom dwelling corals (i.e. plates) you don't want them dumping sand on.

 

[EndlessReef]

it might be to big for your tank but fighting conchs are really good at that

 

[Trex]

Given that your tank is about 50 gallons, I would skip the "goatfish".
Same holds true for the sand sifting starfish, it will strip your sandbed of most of its life and then slowly starve to death.

 

[NanaReefer]

I have a Strawberry Conch in my 40B. Much smaller then the Fighting Conch. Does a great job of turning up the sand and keeping it algae free.

 

[cloak]

You could just skip the fish/invertebrate altogether and do this task yourself. I've got a stick that's about 2' long that I'll use to stir up the top layer of my substrate on occasion. (usually right before a water change) I don't have to feed it, I don't have to worry about it pooping in the tank or dying on me. Definitely something to think about. GL

 

[rsyver]

I really like my nassarius snails and blue legged hermits for that work. My watchman goby is great but sticks to one spot of the tank.