I need help with sand

[Nosracked]

I have a 30gal reef tank and I just started out so I don’t know much about reef tanks. I want something that will clean the sand, not mess with future coral, and not make sand hills like a sand sifting goby. Any ideas on what would be best?

 

[Stealthreefer]

cerith snails and go from there

 

[Tcook]

4-5 nassarius snail. Possibly 1 fighting conch when tank is mature.

 

[The_Skrimp]

Definitely a conch. My tiger conch is a mini vacuum and they never really leave the sand bed.

 

[exnisstech]

Just starting any sand sifters will most likely starve if added too soon. At least that has been my experience unless you can offer supplemental food. Once established as stated nassarius snails and conch do well. My cerith snails stay on the rocks and glass and do not stir sand at all.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

cerith snails and go from there

++ on the Cerith Snails, at 8 months and beyond add one or two Nassarius Snails. The Aquarium is too small for even the smallest Conch. Three or Four Trochus Snails to keep everything else clean. Stay away from Turbo Snails, unless you can get the African ones, and the Margarita Snails. These are Cold Water Snails, and our Reef Temperatures will cook them. Also try to Seed the Tank with Copepods and Amphipods, after about two months.

 

[EricR]

I agree with all of the above -- I have nassarius snails and tiger sand conch.
They help but sand is still going to accumulate stuff (which could be considered good).
I vacuum a lot of my sand as my water change but many people purposely don't,,, many stir sand.

Ceriths are a good idea too but I don't have any.

 

[vlangel]

I have a deep sand bed that I never vacuum. I have nassarius snails to scavenge excess food and to gently turnover the sand. Now that my tank is mature I have a common Atlantic cucumber who constantly works the surface of the sand bed keeping it very clean.

 

[jda]

Cucumbers, conchs and the cerith snails already mentioned. However, your tank needs to be really mature for these to get enough sustenance from the sand to live.

I would not get any of these for a long while. The ceriths can leave the sand and eat algae, but the cucumbers and conchs will starve without microfauna and bacteria and stuff in the sand to eat.