how do you keep your sand so clean?

AdamG · 02-22-2007, 09:42 PM

Just curious as to how people keep their substrate clean? do you just stir and vaccum and do water changes. Is there something I missed.... mine is not bad, just wanna know if there is a better way????

reefermike1 · 02-22-2007, 10:10 PM

nassarius snails, and conchs do a pretty good job between syphoning if u have enough of them. i have 5 conchs and 25 nassarius snails. still gets dirty eventually though. so i syphon the top weekly during my waterchange.

know-it-all · 02-22-2007, 10:12 PM

just critters that stir it up
nassarius snails work
my pistol shrimp is better

Rippey · 02-22-2007, 10:23 PM

I use a black sea cucmber. Had a diamond goby (sand sifting goby) but he dug LR out and got pinned. Besides for what you mentiond keeping it stirred up is the main thing you can do.

slant77 · 02-22-2007, 10:30 PM

my diamond goby keeps mine pretty clean

tdwyatt · 02-22-2007, 11:41 PM

Strombus sppfighting conchs, Holothurian spp sea cukes, Linckia levegata, Nassarius sppsnails, a few crabs (note I said a FEW), a Mandarinfish, a Kole tang, and a low bioload for the rest of the water column. Clams capture nitrqates and a little phosphate, so adding them to the systm helps sequester som nitrate nutrient that might otherwise end up in the sand as bacteria or algal biomass. I don't do a refugium, although I do plan to add a settling chamber with a conical bottom to aid in detrital capture and rapid export (put a valve on the bottom to "suck out" the settled detritus). The rock is suspended above the sand with a regular gentle burst of current to remove any accumulations of detritus, and there are regular water changes along with good circulation and once a year bulb changes with Icecap MH ballasts. The sand is not manipulated at all unless it is to siphon off a surface eddie of mulm/detritus.

I also do not feed much.

It still boils down to limiting imports, and maximizing exports.

wiszmaster · 02-22-2007, 11:47 PM

Nassarius snails are good, sand sifting star fish, diamond goby ...

i had about 30 nassarius snails, and 1 diamond goby and the sand in my 150g was pristine.

ScruffyRubicon · 02-23-2007, 02:24 PM

I only take pics after a W/C, cleaning.

DevilBoy · 02-23-2007, 02:26 PM

when they are telling you to stir it up, if it is a DSB dont stir up to deep. just the top layer is all...

Rippey · 02-23-2007, 02:29 PM

myne is only 1\4 inch and i stirr it all Up

Loverotties · 02-23-2007, 02:45 PM

Get a cleaning crew package.

pastina · 02-23-2007, 05:14 PM

i see some of you keep diamond gobies. i only had mine less than a day before he jumped out
is it a 50/50 chance a diamond will jump? id like to try another one if thats the case

avalanche wolf · 02-23-2007, 05:34 PM

Nassarius snails , sand sifting star fish and blue legged hermits are working great for me about once a month a add 5 lbs of sand to recover what i suck off the top.