Coolest sand cleaner

[Hotrod32487]

I cant decide on what to get that will keep my sand clean. Thought about gobys, sandsifting stars, horseshoe crabs, etc Whats the coolest thing to have that keeps sand clean but doesnt eat corals or anything like that?

[Richard]

How about a cucumber like a Tigertail cucumber.

Some info on cucumbers...
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/jan2003/invert.htm

[caferacermike]

I have several cukes and enjoy them all. I also have sand stars, hermits, about 700 snails (a 75g tank), a horseshoe crab. Cukes rock.

[Hotrod32487]

omg 700 snails? I hope you were exagerating... lol thats like $2,000 in snails (if you shop at Alamo Aquatic)

[jroescher]

I have 2 Tigertail cucumbers. It was one of the first things in my tank, and I recently counted 2 now. I'm watching real close because I suspect I may have 3.

Just keep in mind that they can relocate a LOT of sand to a different area of your tank. And they are nocturnal. I know where mine are by the piles of sand I find in the morning. At least one end of them :blink

[Hotrod32487]

Yeah i want something that would be cool to watch also. Thats why ive been leaning toward Gobys cause they are active and some are colorful. I was just looking for other ideas of cool things that are interesting to watch and still keep your sand clean

[jroescher]

I also have one of the sand sifting starfish that's really cool to watch, but only when he comes up out of the sand and starts cruising. Also a Dusky Jawfish. He's really cool to watch eat but you have to watch closely. He's as fast as lighting. Makes a deep hole under the rocks. But he stays in one place. He stays busy rearranging the opening to his hole and doing housekeeping.

[caferacermike]

My cukes don't care if the lights are on. Clean, sterile sand still comes out the business end of my tigers, blacks, and other colored cukes 24 hours a day. I've also encounterd the "I started with one but now have several" story with my cukes. I only had one tiger but now there are 3.

Let's just say I am no where near $2,000 in snails. I get my snails and hermits for $0.20 each in bags of 50 when I buy 200 or more.

[prof]

I love the gobies but they make a mess. They love moving the sand. Fighting conchs work pretty well without making a mess. I have ~50 nassarius snails in a 40g. I think they are the coolest snail and they do a great job.

[ackelley]

second's on the nassarius snails they swarm when you feed your fish and thats cool !!!!!!

[jroescher]

I get my snails and hermits for $0.20 each in bags of 50 when I buy 200 or more.

Where?

[caferacermike]

It's a secret. It's not open to the public.

[zerreissen]

Do you have to worry about the cukes dieing and taking out your tank?

[Hotrod32487]

Im wondering the same thing zerreissen. From the little i read it seems like they barely do an damage if any but im still not sure. I do know that sea apples will kill a tank but still unsure about cukes...

[FireEater]

I have two large yellow cukes, a tiger tail cuke and a pink cuke. The tiger tail and pink cuke are nocturnal. But the other two are always out and cleaning. They are the best sand cleaners in my opinion as they do not disturb the sand bed. They clean the top of it.

They also do an excellent job of it. I also have two queen conchs that are excellent lower rock cleaners. They can get that snout in the smallest of places.

Also, the cuke I am calling a tiger tail is the one that attaches it's tail under a rock and only cleans around that rock. Then every so often it unattaches and moves over to another location.

Look at my tank in my sig and go to Tank Pics. Then go down the page and you will see a great shot of the cuke doing it's job, along with a queen conch working away.