little sand cleaning helpers

[eclipse522]

So, I need help keeping my sand bed clean. The sand bed gets cleaned once or twice a week but that is not enough. The fish and the few corals that i have appear happy. I am not sure if i just don't have enough members in my cleanup crew or not the right kind of cleaners. I have a 40 g breeder With refugium. Right now for my clean up crew, I have 3 or four hermit crabs, 2 cerith snails, and 2 astraea snails. Looking for some suggestions for good sand cleaners.

[Guest Bevo5]

I'm not exactly sure on the types of snails and what they're best at, but a 40g tank needs a lot more than 4 snails and 4 crabs. Look up the cleaning crew on reef cleaners....I bet the 40g size comes with 75 various snails.

 

The crabs are going to eat snails so you'll need to periodically replenish those...

[Blue Z Reef]

nassarius snails do a good job on the sand. Maybe get a sand sifting star also.

[Psychopomp]

Deep or shallow bed? If it is a Deep sand bed, avoid the sifting fish. They will spike the tank when they dig all 3-6 inches in. The sand sifter does better in a Deep bed as a replacement for the fish. Though from all accounts still likes to keel over.

[itskris]

Your cleanup crew is too small. I have a biocybe 29 and I believe I ended up with about 50 different snails and crabs.

[eclipse522]

Thanks all for answering. I get some more snails. I was just afraid if i get too more snails or crabs that they may starve.

[Derbird]

For keeping sand clean I LOVE conchs!  They are larger so they can do a good area in a day and they never seem to stop.

[eclipse522]

It is a shallow sand bed. I probably will add a few more new members to my cleanup crew.