View Full Version : sand bed cleaners
donk18
03-26-2008, 11:45 PM
i am haveing a issue finding something to clean my DSB. i am getting a lot of algea on the surface of my DSB and alot of turbo snail poo. i have a pretty good clean up crew i think. i have 5 Nassarius Snails (http://phishybusiness.com/livestock/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=34), 3 Cerith Snail (http://phishybusiness.com/livestock/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=31)s, 2 blue leg hermits and 1 big a** zebra turbo snail. is there anything that i can get to clean up my sand bed and eat up some of this poo so i don't have to vacuum it? i have a 10 gallon. all these guys do a great job on my LR and pretty good on my glass but it seems like knowone will touch the sand bed. Please give some suggestions.
cliftonsinclair
03-26-2008, 11:52 PM
how bout a cucumber
rxdoc_85
03-26-2008, 11:55 PM
don't get a horseshoe!! haha, i got one for that reason and have found out that was a mistake. how about a sand sifting star? i'm not sure of tank requirments...or maybe some type of sandsifting goby? newabie advice here, so take with a grain of salt... good luck :)
donk18
03-26-2008, 11:56 PM
no way. i don't want the time bomb. i have had my tank crash once, not agian. anything else.
nycsicktank
03-26-2008, 11:58 PM
give us more info about your tank
tank size?
equipments?
how old is the system?
livestock?
cliftonsinclair
03-26-2008, 11:58 PM
My anemone caught my horseshoe. I'm not really sure if that is why it ended up dying or not. You gotta love the LFS for all the good advice.
donk18
03-27-2008, 12:02 AM
10 gallon, two phs with a total of 325gph, 15 or so lbs of LR, 2 false perc's, my cuc is in my first post. i will soon have a 10gal sump and refurgim with a 396gph return pump, and a 4in dsb.
nycsicktank
03-27-2008, 12:03 AM
how old is the tank?
donk18
03-27-2008, 12:04 AM
3mnths
nycsicktank
03-27-2008, 12:07 AM
what kind of algae do you see on the surface of the DSB? brown-its a diatom red-red slim(bad) you might want to add more nass snails like 5 more.
donk18
03-27-2008, 12:11 AM
there are some diatoms and some just normal green. i am more worried about the waste. i am horrible at vacuuming sand beds. i probably pull out a half pound of sand every time i vacuum my cichlid tank.
there are some diatoms and some just normal green. i am more worried about the waste. i am horrible at vacuuming sand beds. i probably pull out a half pound of sand every time i vacuum my cichlid tank.
Funny that, I always take out a load of sand when I clean my cichlids out! If you want something to move your sand bed about I would add more ceriths
nycsicktank
03-27-2008, 12:57 AM
you said you have DSB!? you shouldnt touch it... how deep is your sand?
you said you have DSB!? you shouldnt touch it... how deep is your sand?
Didn't see that bit! If its DSB in a sump nycsicktank is right, dont touch it!
Not sure what kind of powerheads you have but if they put out a dispersed flow at that rate the waste should be suspended in the water column more than staying whole on the bottom. The large zebra turbo will have noticable waste yes, but it shouldnt' stay in tact for very long.
donk18
03-27-2008, 8:06 AM
i don't touch it but it is driving me crazy. i have never vacuumed it. and it is pretty much just the zebra turbo's waste that i see. what about worms. the eat up waist right. i could add some more bristle worms or some spagetti worms.
I'd look at how the flow is and regular maintenance on the tank during water changes (not vaccuming the DSB of course) before I'd add something to eat the poo. Partly because whatever eats the poo is just going to make their own poo.
witmerboarder
03-27-2008, 9:54 AM
Goby's are great fish for keeping the sand bed clean. I have two diamond goby's in my tank and they are constantly re-arranging the sand. They build a burrow each day and then sleep in it at night and re-build it the next day. This week they have decided to pull all the sand away from my rock and pile it in the corner. NOTE make sure your rock is resting on the tank bottom or they will cause it to collapse. There are smaller varieties that will go well in a 10 gallon tank. very entertaining fish.
http://lh5.google.com/bauera2/R7jedaAr3SI/AAAAAAAADW4/29rMeR5af-4/s400/IMG_3459.jpg
donk18
03-27-2008, 12:52 PM
i was thinking of adding a yellow watchman goby. do you think that will help
witmerboarder
03-27-2008, 2:22 PM
The Watchman is not a sand shifter so it probably will not work for that. It is a great looking fish.
Check out his link for some additional info
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1851
Horchata
03-27-2008, 2:48 PM
maybe a sea hair?
alpha123
04-04-2008, 8:23 PM
Sounds like you have enough janitors for 10g. They are just not doing squat. Maybe add some coffee?
journey0820
04-05-2008, 5:55 PM
no way. i don't want the time bomb. i have had my tank crash once, not agian. anything else.
come sea cucumbers don't do the puke guts out thing. Ones from the Atlantic I believe. You can double check in an invert ID book but it would be worth being sure! They are phenomenal sifters and if you can get the safe kind...
olga21
04-06-2008, 4:20 AM
Try a fighting conch.
Try a fighting conch.
I wouldn't recommend one in a 10g.