Natural ways of keeping sand bed clean?

[Jonny Walker]

I just sift the sand bed every 2 weeks before the water change, I kinda turn it over on it self a few times.
I wouldn’t depend on any animals for anything in my tank, they can help but it’s our job to take care of the majority of any maintenance.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Hi all, thanks for the replies. Answering a few questions that was asked.

Tank size is 4ft, 350L (RS reefer 350)
Been running for 7 months now
I use RODI water with 0 TDS

It has nitrates between 20-50ppm and po4 at 0.5ppm ( working on them with carbon dosing phosphate Rx)

Regarding Copper.
It actually tested there's copper in it with the Hanna HR tester. Since then I've used cuprisorb and now it reads 0.5ppm which is within the error margin of Hanna HR copper tester.

there shouldn't be that much copper. What do you use to check TDS? what are your other params?

also those nitrates are high.

 

[Forty-Two]

+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.

Diamond Goby's are the best at keeping the sandbed clean - but I would wait for that until you can keep things alive in your tank.

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

I have 240G mainbtank, will this work for such a big tank?

If your water parameters can support them then I think so. You probably would need quite a few, but the large turbos have a voracious appetite. I would just start with 10 turbos and 2 urchins and observe for a few weeks and add from there if necessary.

 

[SlugSnorter]

If your water parameters can support them then I think so. You probably would need quite a few, but the large turbos have a voracious appetite. I would just start with 10 turbos and 2 urchins and observe for a few weeks and add from there if necessary.

0.5 ppm copper in the water for whatever reason.

they would prob die

 

[SlugSnorter]

Hi all, thanks for the replies. Answering a few questions that was asked.

Tank size is 4ft, 350L (RS reefer 350)
Been running for 7 months now
I use RODI water with 0 TDS

It has nitrates between 20-50ppm and po4 at 0.5ppm ( working on them with carbon dosing phosphate Rx)

Regarding Copper.
It actually tested there's copper in it with the Hanna HR tester. Since then I've used cuprisorb and now it reads 0.5ppm which is within the error margin of Hanna HR copper tester.

the checker has a margin of 0.05

you have a copper issue. have you ever put copper in that tank or has anything in that tank been in a tank with copper?

 

[EricR]

Late to the party but I'm in the "conch" camp.
My tiger sand conch is like a vacuum cleaner that digs deep down into the carpet.

*kinda think bristleworms are helping out but I don't want to start a panic

 

[SlugSnorter]

Late to the party but I'm in the "conch" camp.
My tiger sand conch is like a vacuum cleaner that digs deep down into the carpet.

*kinda think bristleworms are helping out but I don't want to start a panic

copper is 0.5 ppm

 

[EricR]

copper is 0.5 ppm

Ahhh,,,, missed the "snails dying" thing. Copper first,,, inverts later,,, got it.

 

[SlugSnorter]

OP, add some Cuprisorb and a PolyFilter

 

[polyppal]

Anyone ever successfully run a sand goby with larger substrate? I have Caribsea black Hawaiian which is fairly large.

(((if they’ll clean black Hawaiian it’s time to get a pair!)))

 

[SlugSnorter]

Anyone ever successfully run a sand goby with larger substrate? I have Caribsea black Hawaiian which is fairly large.

(((if they’ll clean black Hawaiian it’s time to get a pair!)))

too course i think. they sift the sand, and sand thats too big can hurt them

 

[dvgyfresh]

Buy some miracle mud from ipsf , conch, nassarius snails and you will need to do nothing to keep the sand bed clean , this sand is only two months old , but the old tank also had clean sand without me interfering

 

[HuduVudu]

Anyone ever successfully run a sand goby with larger substrate? I have Caribsea black Hawaiian which is fairly large.

(((if they’ll clean black Hawaiian it’s time to get a pair!)))

You can make a "sand" box.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Buy some miracle mud from ipsf , conch, nassarius snails and you will need to do nothing to keep the sand bed clean , this sand is only two months old , but the old tank also had clean sand without me interfering

copper is at 0.5 ppm

 

[SlugSnorter]

You can make a "sand" box.

couldn't they still face issues from trying to sift the courser sand? and that would not address the issues with the old sand not being cleaned.

 

[polyppal]

too course i think. they sift the sand, and sand thats too big can hurt them

yeah I figured prob was the case

 

[polyppal]

Are you guys using spec grade with them? Surely ppl aren’t running the super fine powder sand

 

[dvgyfresh]

copper is at 0.5 ppm

Op needs to fix this forsure , cuprisorb and polyfilter but why is there copper in the first place?

 

[SlugSnorter]

yeah I figured prob was the case

sand that thick can have some cleaning difficulties, maybe some micro brittle stars can help out.