Sand sifting crew - experience requested..

[csdoyle]

Good day,

My new 155 gallon + 40ish gallon sump/fuge will soon be hosting my previous 100 gallon reef tank. It has about 125 pounds of live rock and 120 pounds of aragamax sugar sand (previously I had crushed coral). I am seeding the sand with baskets (old Eheim filter media compartments) of crushed coral from my current tank that I move around each day. Not looking for a fast track to happy sand.. just doing what I can to help it.

I am looking to the future when the sand is active and full of bacteria and life and trying to plan out a sand sifting crew that will keep the sand moving yet not create constant sand storms, hence my request for advice.

I don't want to add critters doomed to die, so I am wondering - what have people used that have survived the 12 month mark to keep the sand moving that worked for you without creating daily sand storms?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

Chris

 

[csdoyle]

Anyone with Rainfordi Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi), or Orange marked goby (Amblygobius decussatus) experience and sand sifting?

Any sea cucumbers to suggest, tiger tails??

Cheers,

Chris

 

[Snowboarda42]

I'd skip the cucumbers and tigers personally. If they get stressed it can mean tank poisoning. I'd skip the hermits too, they're only good at eating your snails IMO...

I use a Conch (1 per 10sq/ft) and a bunch of Nassarius Snails to keep the sand bed clean. You'll see them bury themselves at night and plow around the sand during the day.

Rainford's gobies can be somewhat hard to keep if they don't eat prep'd foods. IDK about Orange marked, but I know sand sifting gobies can make messes.

 

[chadmace]

I have a Mural Sifter Goby that does his thing, also eats flake food so he's just fine. I have Nassarius Snails also however my stay burried during the day until you feed and are pretty much up all night. While the Nassarius Snails do some sand movement I think the Goby accounts for 90% of the work.

 

[shallowreef]

Sand sifting stars work nice but i wouldn't do more than two in your tank and i would not add right away either. I would wait a few weeks or even a couple months until your sand is properly seeded and then add stuff to it to stir it up/ eat teh unwanted waste in the sand. If you add things to early you will not provide them enough food and they will die. I have tried all of these things and the nasarius snail and sand sifting stars work well. I also like cucumbers and tiger tails but the whole poisoning the ehtire tank is major set back.

 

[csdoyle]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I hadn't even considered a conch in the mix. I am worried about starving out a sand sifting star for sure, something to consider in a year perhaps..

Chris