Sand sifters

[blur]

Hi, just like to know if it is absolutely necessary to have sand-sifters, like gobies/starfish? What's the advantages and disadvantages of having them? Thanks!

[Archer82]

Sand shifters serve as a cleaning crew, eating and clearing detritus on the sand bed ( stuff like uneaten food etc ) and also move the sand on the sand bed around so that it is well oxygenated.

The benefits of this are many though make sure you don't pick something which will target other minute clean up crew like pods. ( I nearly made this mistake by planning to buy a sand shifting starfish )

Hope it helps

[ciaolong]

if u have a dsb i would NOT get sand sifter

my 2cents

[Maverick77]

if u have a dsb i would NOT get sand sifter

my 2cents

I understand this is a long kept thread but since it fits my learning purpose just pick it up to learn more things.

Bro ciaolong, y DSB shldn't use sand sifters?

Many thanks...

[gerald28]

just like to share my experience , my greatest mistake was to get sand shifters , my tank of 8 months was doing well until i introduce 2 big gobies thinking they help to clean my sand bed .But they keep cleaning the sandbed till the bottom and cause all my bateria to die off and this wipe out my tank .Got to clear the tank and catch them and restart my tank and so upset to all the fishes that was killed by them .Just my experience ,mine is a 2 ft cube and 2 inch sand bed then

oh ya and just to add now i just get some shrimp and a lobster they doing great so dun get anything to will dig into the sand !

cheers

[apollo]

Hi gerald28

Am new here. I dont see why the goby when digging the sand bed wl cause the tank to crash.

The bateria is so minute and abundance when established, shud be all over the sand bed. While the gohby is digging at corner A, they will be making colony at corner B.

Could it be other reason? Really hope to keep 1 or 2 when my tank is ready.

Thanks.

[Maverick77]

Well, I guess I can understand that your sand bed contains useful bacteria but like what apollo said, it's just a small part of it, i tot...

Probably it just topple the balance even if it's only a little...

Wonder how people keep Garden Eel in their main tank though... They also dig so wonder if they'll cause such harm to the tank too...

Anyone care to comment?

[Kelmen]

Actually I have similar question (different forum) but no feedback on it though.

At some articles, "sand sifting" is consider good as its kind of housekeeping on the sand bed surface cleaning and aeration.

But some articles, especially DSB related, its consider not good as such as reduce the SB infauna and may release some undesired buried thingy or chemical.

From my digestion, (JMO) I guess as long as the guy (live stock lah) don't make big scale of sand sifting like maroon clown or goby, which practically are digging hole, guys like snails, cuke, worms are considered ok as they touch the very upper layer only.

[gerald28]

hi guys maybe it my fault i bought a pair of oversize 1 and they did not dig at 1 corner ,they dig all places to the bottom and even underneath my rock causing some to topple .Just my experience it may differ from person to person just thought share with you guys but im not getting that for sure happy with my shrimp and lobster now .

[ciaolong]

sorry for the late reply

well depend on the sand bed. for shallow sand beds sand sifters are ok ... they can keep the sand bed clean.

but for dsb the last thing u want is to keep move the sand and digging it up

thats why alot of dsb these are in the sump or in a fuge. u would loose your baterica and your dsb will never work ...

and if u have a mature dsb that is working and u put a goby that picks up sand and puts it other places if they get near the bottom there is a gas that forms at the lower levels of dsb called hydrogen sulfide which is quite a toxic gas

have a look for a book or an online book called sand bed serects by dr. ron shimek its quite small but it has alot of infomation on sand beds

[Maverick77]

Alright guys, I understand liao. Thnx for sharing the info. I also think there's something to do with the bacteria.

Well, thnx for sharing the exp with us, I'm sure people like me do benefit. I sense something's wrong...

Pls pardon newbie that doesn't newbie who nvr see real sand sifters work before... Didn't realise definitely that they can dig under the rocks... Now makes me worried whether to keep garden eel in my main tank in the future...

[AREA51]

by the way........

does a 2" deep sand bed considered DSB?

[kelstorm]

by the way........

does a 2" deep sand bed considered DSB?

nope... DSB usually is like 4" or more deep

[freddychin]

Members,

My personal opinion

Sand shifters are goodrich if the sand bed is not a DSB.

My sand bed is least then 1 inch. The sand shifter keeps my sand bed loose. My sand was forming to lump and chunks initially.

I have have quite a mixture of cleaning crew that comprise of Dollar sand, dwarf hermit crab, tiger tail, snail, sea hares, albalone etc,etc...

thanks to Henry of ML and no thanks as it is a hole in the pocket too.

rdgs