What cleans my sand?

[screemer]

We added our first CUC yesterday, 2 blood shrimps and 4 hermits. We now have a lot of poo on the substrate, so i was wondering what happens to this? Do we have to gravel clean it, or does something do it for us??

 

[Dweezil]

I clean mine weekly while doing my water changes with a gravel vac. However, you should add some snails though. Cerith and Nassarius snails tend to stay in the substrate but with the Hermits you'll need to be careful. They like to eat snails depending on the variety.

 

[Nowellsy SNR]

I use to clean mine every other week befor adding my new skimmer

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

+1 snails

Love snails for CUC - one per gallon - I have about 30, stared with about 15 & added another 15 over the 1st few months.

Tanks any sand near 100 % algae free - snails do a great job cleaning up !

 

[screemer]

Do they clean up poo and mess from the crabs and shrimps though?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Do they clean up poo and mess from the crabs and shrimps though?

My snails clean everything... I even have to scape the glass very little...

I never vacuum or clean my sand...

never need too... only once have I vacuumed my sand & that was when I gave myself a case of red slime/cyano from overfeeding (coral frenzy).

 

[screemer]

So which snails do you have?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

This is my CUC for my RSM 130D

Snails, 8 - Ceriths, 8 - Nassarius, 4 - Margarita Turbos, 6 - Astrea & Banded Trochus, 4 - Mexican Turbos - 1 - Emerald crab - 1 - Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

 

[screemer]

Jeez, i never realised i'd need so many snails

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

add about 15 & see what they do in a week

The Grazing Snails, Part I - Turbo, Trochus, Astraea, and Kin by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com

The Grazing Snails, Part II - Abalones, Limpets and Nerites by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com

Nassarius Snails

 

[David Shaw]

Syphon it as part of your water change, that, along with the the CUC will give you white sand, it does for me.

 

[stevesparkes]

What about sand shifting starfish, do they count as part of the CUC, if so how do they help?

 

[screemer]

Dave, did u get your snails from Oasis?

 

[David Shaw]

Yup and they have a new order of Turbos due in this week!

 

[screemer]

I am off there on Friday afternoon.

 

[screemer]

Will my Nassarius snails actually clea nthe sand or do they just turn it over? So far tonight they have just dug themselves in??

 

[Dweezil]

They won't "clean" it. They will eat left over food that hits the bottom of the tank and keep the sand turned over. They are not algae eaters though.

 

[screemer]

So are they any snails out there that clean the algae off the sand?

 

[redsea reefer]

Astrea, Turbo and Cerith Snails.

 

[screemer]

Oh right Dweezil said they dont LOL