need cleaners

[NanoMan]

my sand is starting to look a little dirty.what can i get to keep it clean?

[OrionGirl]

Dirty with what? If it's algae build up, it may indicate an area where there isn't enough water movement. If you have leftover food and such building up, you'll want to invest in some cleaner critters--what kind depends on what is in your tank. Serpent stars, hermits, snails, and crabs are the usual suspects, but won't work with something like triggers.

[kpatrick]

I agree except my situation is a little different... ever since I added some Emerald crabs to my tank to help the turbos and hermits clean, my Niger Trigger is the one being abused instead of dishing out the abuse. I came home today and his fins are all torn up pretty bad!! I kinda thought it would be the other way around.

[NanoMan]

i am getting redish brown algae everywhere and green algae.

[OrionGirl]

The reddish brown algae is likely diatoms, no big deal. Ugly, but normal in a new system. You can clean it off the glass, it will eventually die off.

For the green stuff, hermits would be a good choice. Snails will help with the stuff on the glass, or limpets. Wide vareity of gastropods to choose from, each with a preferred food choice. We've had great luck with astrea and cerith's--they'll help clean the sand as well.