cleaning sand bed

Reefcraze_1 · 01-05-2008, 10:51 PM

I'm using a deep live sand bed and im having brown and green algae form on the top of the sand, the green is film and the brown looks like diatoms. The lfs sold me some large snails (2-3 inches) which have white shells with orange spots to clean the sand but they don't do the top of the sand they burrow and clean underneath. Could really use some help This bed is a pain. I have heard that pistol shrimp and scarlet hermits will clean the top of the sand. Any ideas will be helpful.

Thanks

Chris

Tim A · 01-05-2008, 11:21 PM

I woulds use either
Nassarius Snails
sand sifter goby
or look for the reason why.
like phosphates and such.
low water flow across the sand bed.
what are you water parameters?

JT101 · 01-05-2008, 11:26 PM

The clean-up crew thing is, in my opinion, really overrated.

Most snails will not actually clean the TOP of your sand.

Instead, they will make little furrows here and there, and if you have cyano they will just sort of work it down into the sand so it's not as visible, but it's still there.

Also, I don't know of anything that eats cyano. Even if you have diatoms, most of the time there's cyano mixed in (sort of like sand in your sandwich - no matter how tasty that chicken salad sandwich probably is, you're not gonna eat it).

A CUC is better for eating detritus. To get rid of the stuff you're talking about, you need to cut down on whatever is feeding it such as nitrates and/or phosphates.

01-05-2008, 10:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
Reefcraze_1 Limpet Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 140 View Gallery Karma Komment	cleaning sand bed I'm using a deep live sand bed and im having brown and green algae form on the top of the sand, the green is film and the brown looks like diatoms. The lfs sold me some large snails (2-3 inches) which have white shells with orange spots to clean the sand but they don't do the top of the sand they burrow and clean underneath. Could really use some help This bed is a pain. I have heard that pistol shrimp and scarlet hermits will clean the top of the sand. Any ideas will be helpful. Thanks Chris

01-05-2008, 11:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tim A Tunicate Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 15 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: cleaning sand bed I woulds use either Nassarius Snails sand sifter goby or look for the reason why. like phosphates and such. low water flow across the sand bed. what are you water parameters? __________________ read and learn, and ask questions.

01-05-2008, 11:26 PM	#3 (permalink)
JT101 Plate Coral Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Hicksville NY Posts: 741 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: cleaning sand bed The clean-up crew thing is, in my opinion, really overrated. Most snails will not actually clean the TOP of your sand. Instead, they will make little furrows here and there, and if you have cyano they will just sort of work it down into the sand so it's not as visible, but it's still there. Also, I don't know of anything that eats cyano. Even if you have diatoms, most of the time there's cyano mixed in (sort of like sand in your sandwich - no matter how tasty that chicken salad sandwich probably is, you're not gonna eat it). A CUC is better for eating detritus. To get rid of the stuff you're talking about, you need to cut down on whatever is feeding it such as nitrates and/or phosphates.

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