Goat fish???

[wes_slavens]

Has anyone ever used a goat fish to keep the top layer of sand moved around instead of a diamond gobie? I really don't want to put a gobie in this tank because I will have corals on the sand bed and I don't want them to be covered in sand all the time, if not a goat fish do you have any other suggestions?

 

[Robink]

some sand sifting starfish.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Unless the tank is exceptionally large, skip the goat fish, they get really big.

I personally don't like sand sifting stars, as they consume all the beneficial microfauna in the sandbed.

Conchs can keep the sand bed turned over and some species even eat cyanobacteria.

Enough nassarius snails will help keep the sandbed turned over through their burying/unburying everyday.

 

[LadAShark]

Has anyone ever used a goat fish to keep the top layer of sand moved around instead of a diamond gobie? I really don't want to put a gobie in this tank because I will have corals on the sand bed and I don't want them to be covered in sand all the time, if not a goat fish do you have any other suggestions?

I've considered a goatfish personally, but the issue is you need to feed them 3-4 times a day.

 

[wes_slavens]

Unless the tank is exceptionally large, skip the goat fish, they get really big.

I personally don't like sand sifting stars, as they consume all the beneficial microfauna in the sandbed.

Conchs can keep the sand bed turned over and some species even eat cyanobacteria.

Enough nassarius snails will help keep the sandbed turned over through their burying/unburying everyday.

I guess I should have mentioned it is a 75 gallon. I have 7 or 8 nissarias snails and they don't do much for me, I'm guessing I would need more in the area of 20?

 

[wes_slavens]

I've considered a goatfish personally, but the issue is you need to feed them 3-4 times a day.

Good to know, I wouldn't be able to do that

 

[reef_junkie]

I guess I should have mentioned it is a 75 gallon. I have 7 or 8 nissarias snails and they don't do much for me, I'm guessing I would need more in the area of 20?

As with any good cuc, it's the numbers that make the difference. I only keep snails in my 150 and I believe I have somewhere around 100 surfing around in there. Most of those are nassarius. I really like them and think they out perform the others.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I guess I should have mentioned it is a 75 gallon. I have 7 or 8 nissarias snails and they don't do much for me, I'm guessing I would need more in the area of 20?

The smaller goatfish species still reach 8", many grow larger. A 75g isn't the best hime for one.

In a 75g, I would think 25-30 would be necessary. Nassarius are one of the superior scavengers IMO.

 

[Gary Wilkinson]

You could consider some tiger tail's, I alway have found strawberry Lipped Conches worth while, as well as Nassarius

The sand sifting Star Fish, generally slowly starve to death, unless you have a DSB, and then the mic fauna is depleted

 

[wes_slavens]

You could consider some tiger tail's, I alway have found strawberry Lipped Conches worth while, as well as Nassarius

The sand sifting Star Fish, generally slowly starve to death, unless you have a DSB, and then the mic fauna is depleted

What kind of numbers? I'm guessing more than one

 

[Gary Wilkinson]

What kind of numbers? I'm guessing more than one

For the Conchs I would start with 12 on that size tank

Tiger Tails grow quite large, so depends on the size if there is enough food they will grow and split later, two to begin with, mine slowly move around the tank, but the tail is always near rock work, they do the main job at night, but will be active in the shade in the illumination period

 

[LadAShark]

Good to know, I wouldn't be able to do that

Yeah. I too was disappointed because I needed/wanted a large goatfish for my cuc. Something big enough that the other predators in the tank wouldn't bother him :/