Natural ways of keeping sand bed clean?

[Pimba]

What natural ways can you use to clean the sandbed white rather than gravel vacuuming it.

What's a better option from below
- sand sifting goby
-sand sifting starfish
-conch snail (snails die in my tank after a while for some reason so would like to avoid this)

 

[JCM]

If you can't keep snails alive, you're unlikely to keep a sandsifting star or goby alive. Just vacuum it

 

[Lavey29]

PNS probio, not only helps my sandbed but keeps my filter socks clean for a week or more.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

A bunch of hair worms

 

[BanjoBandito]

Oh man lemme know when ya figure it out. Lol. Best I got is sucking the top layer off before company!

 

[Dbichler]

Strawberry conchs or Mexican fighting conchs work best for me nassarious snails if you have enough.

 

[Pkunk35]

+1 on siphoning the sand bed. Personally don’t believe the animals even come close to what a siphon does. Heck those animals send out waste too, so it’s not like it gets taken out of the system.

but my vote goes for nassarius bc when they reproduce, the babies in numbers keep the top layer well mixed so appears more white:

 

[Singspot]

Dimond Gobi. It will survive in most conditions and 3 out of my 3 DG cleaned sand and ate frozen food too.

Look no further.

I DG keeps my sand ben super clean in 8 ft tank heavily stocked with fish and Anemones

 

[Timfish]

I rarely see large snails like conchs survive long term (1 year +) The small snail species that will reproduce as mentioned above are good choices IMO. Keep in mind endoliths will burrow into the sand grains and are arguably an important part of a healthy ecosystem. They will discolor sand sooner or later. Periodicly you might siphon off the top layer, soak in H2O2 for a day or so, rinse well then return to your system.

 

[homer1475]

I rarely see large snails like conchs survive long term (1 year +) The small snail species that will reproduce as mentioned above are good choices IMO. Keep in mind endoliths will burrow into the sand grains and are arguably an important part of a healthy ecosystem. They will discolor sand sooner or later. Periodicly you might siphon off the top layer, soak in H2O2 for a day or so, rinse well then return to your system.

+1
I prefer bleach over peroxide, but either way works.

 

[Pimba]

I don't want to siphon sand off due to all the micro fauna living in it ( I inspected with a usb microscope and man it's fascinating life happening in the sand bed there!)

Yeah my conch lasted for about 6 months and he was active and moving around all this time. Will probably get some nassarius snails . ..

 

[homer1475]

I don't want to siphon sand off due to all the micro fauna living in it ( I inspected with a usb microscope and man it's fascinating life happening in the sand bed there!)

Yeah my conch lasted for about 6 months and he was active and moving around all this time. Will probably get some nassarius snails . ..

And all those snails and conchs you are adding, what do you think they are eating? Certainly not the algae, but the microfauna thats keeping the sandbed turned.

They do the same thing, with the siphon being more effective.

 

[Pkunk35]

I don't want to siphon sand off due to all the micro fauna living in it ( I inspected with a usb microscope and man it's fascinating life happening in the sand bed there!)

Yeah my conch lasted for about 6 months and he was active and moving around all this time. Will probably get some nassarius snails . ..

i feel you on this! I look at the bottom of my bucket after water changes and I save what I can in terms of baby snails and worms but without direct predation these animals eventually muck up your tiny glass of water imo.

 

[Pimba]

Natural removal Vs mass removal via siphoning - wouldn't that be different?

 

[Singspot]

The most natural sand sifting ... the sand is pristine white!

Wish my tangs did similar job with the hair algae!

 

[Bucs20fan]

+1000 to diamond goby. Ive never seen a fish constantly work and keep sand so clean, I have a diamond and a golden head goby and the diamond is a 100% harder worker on the sand. Pearly white sand, never bothers other fish but will also take no crap from other fish too. It will fight back.

 

[SlugSnorter]

What natural ways can you use to clean the sandbed white rather than gravel vacuuming it.

What's a better option from below
- sand sifting goby
-sand sifting starfish
-conch snail (snails die in my tank after a while for some reason so would like to avoid this)

is your sandbed deep?

params?

dinos?

does your sandbed ever get stirred?

tank age?

stockings and cuc?

 

[SlugSnorter]

+1000 to diamond goby. Ive never seen a fish constantly work and keep sand so clean, I have a diamond and a golden head goby and the diamond is a 100% harder worker on the sand. Pearly white sand, never bothers other fish but will also take no crap from other fish too. It will fight back.

if OP cannot keep a sand snail, there may be some other issue with the sandbed that would kill a goby

 

[Midrats]

The most natural sand sifting ... the sand is pristine white!

Wish my tangs did similar job with the hair algae!

I just wish they didn't spit the sand all over everything.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I don't want to siphon sand off due to all the micro fauna living in it ( I inspected with a usb microscope and man it's fascinating life happening in the sand bed there!)

Yeah my conch lasted for about 6 months and he was active and moving around all this time. Will probably get some nassarius snails . ..

thats nature, a boatload of micro fauna dies, but more are quickly born to fill their place