Inverts for substrate?

[pass1over]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Was curious to find out what are some of the best, and usually readily available creatures for cleaning and/or stirring up the substrate in the tank?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I have a few shrimp and snails to take care of the rocks and glass(kind of) but need something else.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Thanks in advance.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Chris#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#how long has you tank been up? you need to make sure there is enough stuff in the substrate for what ever youget to eat. withthat in mind a sand siftting star might work as will serpent stars. there are some fish that can clean to an exten (sp) like the sand siftting golbie (i think thats what is called?).if your patient you can getsomeseed sand from a well established tankto seed your sand with micro orginisms that will stir/clean the sand. Things like micro brittle stars (about the size of a nickle tenticle to tenticle realy cool) and other sorts of worms and inverts. how ever ittakes a while for these criters to get established best stick withserpent star.Your LFS should be able to get one for you pretty easy. other people on the forum might havesome sudjestions as well. any way take it with a grain of salt. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[jerryc]

As mentioned the best way to get a good will stocked sand bed is to
trade a cup with others do it as often as you can find someone with a good healthy tank.
Maintaining a good sand bed takes a little work some thank the live rock will
seed it but you wont get the diversity you need from just your rock
Another good way is if you have a club you can all add a cup to a quarantine tank
and leave it for 6 weeks or so and divide it after

[PhatBrdr427]

A Sand Sifting Sea Star is always readily available. They do as their common name says. Their are also other fish that do this job. Just as mentioned before, the sand sifting gobie. There is also the tiger striped sea star, tongan fighting conch. just look around and ask... it all depends on what you like best... after all, it is your tank.

[pass1over]

My tank has been up for about 3 years or so now, probably a bit longer than that. Was all excited and into it for awhile, then kinda lost interest for some reason or another.
Now that the tank is in the living ro0m, I have gotten into it a lot more. Currently designing/building a sump for it and have a pretien skimmer otw, cant wait!

I definately think i need to strengthen up my janitorial crew. Just bought a couple more snails, going to get some hermits in the next few days. Just need somethin for the substrate as teh algae that grows on it, i dont like. Going ot get a lawnmower blenny for that.

Will definately lo0k into the sand sifting star.

I saw some sand sifting crabs (or sand fleas as I call them) for sale online. Was wondering, if my substrate isnt as fine as like beach sand, will they still do well? I have a 2" in front to 3" in rear sandbed made up of aragonite and dolomite.

Thanks for the info.

[PhatBrdr427]

do you have any pics of your setup? Im sure we would like to see what you do wiith your tank now that your taking an interest again.

[pass1over]

I am in the process of getting some pics up online of my tank. I have some pics posted, but its real basic, just a few of the critters that I have atm. Will get full tank and all that pics once im done with the sump and stock it up a bit.

http://www.geocities.com/pass1over/Aquarium.html

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#your urchin should do well on the algea problem with the addition on the sand star and a lawmower blenie you shouldent have any problems...no need to go overboard start with those and let it sit a while and then if you need more algae controle move foward from there other wise you'll end up either having to remove some thing or start adding suplements to feed those algae eaters. Ive lost a few snails and hermits i my day due to lack of algae with more costly critters like a sand start the spinny sea urchin and the lawnmower it would hurt to loose one because of lack of nutrents. Well just my thoughts.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pass1over]

Yea, im done buyin critters to take care of the algae problems.
The sea urchins ... used to have 3 of them, down to 1 now. They acme with my live rock. Noticed them when they were like 1/4 inch big and they all were like baseball size. Was co0l to see them grow.

Thanks for the advice.

[PhatBrdr427]

What type of urchins are they? do you know, Im curious to know what they are.

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# judging by the picture they are whats called the spinny sea urchin... also some times called the long spined urchin. they are very good at algae control but need to be in a large tank to have enough algae. Interesting fact about these urchins is that they are whats called a keystone species, basicaly if they where removed completly from an ecosystem the system would collaps (sp). The long spined urchins eat so much algae on the reefs they live on that if they were removed the algae would very rapidly over take the reef killing most of the other inhabitants.just an interesting but little known fact i thought you all might enjoy.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[PhatBrdr427]

well not only are they a key stone species, they play a huge role in kelp forests. if over populated in a certain aeas, they destroy it and if not enough then there is not enough food for sea otters.

[pass1over]

Yea, Tigersax7's guess is as go0d as mine. Like I said, they came with the live rock im guessing, because i didnt buy them. When we first noticed them they were real tiny.
Had 3 to start, lost the 1st one due to some strange illness goin on in my tank. Lost almost all my fish, then the starfish ate some of a dead fish and he died, then the sea urchin ate some of the starfish and then he died. So I dunno what was up with that.
Lost the 2nd one in the move. Had to move my tank and my g/f's goldfish tank approx. 900 miles from FL to KY. Only thing that died was my female banded coral and the sea urchin. Not bad i guess.

[kmmahan]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Is that a reef safe sea urchin? Are any sea urchin's reef safe?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pass1over]

I dont have any corals, so i dont know. He crawls all over the LR and the glass. From what I can tell, he eats just the algae.
So, to answer your question .... i dunno. LoL

[tigersax7]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#As far as I know they are reef safe...they are strictly herbovors (sp). I ave how ever seen blue tuxedo urchins in the coral tanks at my LFS.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#tigersax7#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[jerryc]

Yes Urchins are reef safe Thea do a good job as part of your clean up crew
but Thea will eat the algae you wont as will as Algae you don't

[dakar]

For the most part they are condsidered 'reef safe', though troublesome.... as from what I heard they have a tendancy to knock over stuff like frags and smaller rock as they graze, I have not heard of any that will actually harm coral.

[pass1over]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#My urchins never knoscked anything over in my tank. However, they are not strictly herbivores, I have seen my urchin eat many non-plant things. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#