sand critters?

now that i have a sand bed(about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches) is there any critters i should put in there to stir the sand like maybe a sand sifting star or i herd of a type of worm like thing that eats the sand at one end and poops it out the other taking the food and stuff out? something unusual like that would be cool.

 

Cucumbers clean sand well. However, don't get the brightly colored ones. You want the ugly ones. You can also use a gravel siphon to clean the sand.

Sand sifter stars need a lot of food. It would die quickly in that shallow of a sandbed and add a lot of waste/nutrients to your system. You don't want one of those.

 

cucumbers are good but ive heard of them poisoning tanks if they are stressed or die.ive got a few sand sifter stars in my tank and ive only got about 1.5" to 2" of sand, but i do have a 5' tank. so there is alot of ground for them to cover. you could also try one of the sand sifter gobies(NOT THE PINK &BLUE SPOTTED ONE, he was eating all my little hermits because he got too big)

 

whats the diff between the bright colored cucumbers and the ugly black or brown ones?

 

If an animal that has relatively no defenses or moves slowly or both, and it is brightly colored, it's for a reason. That's a cue to potential enemies that they are poisonous. They can nuke tanks if some fish ignores this cue and tries to eat it anyway.

BTW....this is true for many land animals too.

 

Yes it has been my experience (by watching the Simpsons), that licking bright red and green frogs can really trip you out. ;D

 

well i got a sand sifting star shortly after i posted this but all he does is buried himself in the sand in one spot and sit there and never moves. i unburied him and he just goes down and never moves again. what a waste. is there that much crap in my sand that he is full all the time?

 

A sand sifter star will move by itself, leave him alone and let him do his thing. He will bury himself and then move to another place and bury himself again. That's in his nature. If he sticks to one spot, he found some stuff to grub on, once he is finished with that spot, he will move. If you want your sand well sifted, get a tiger-tail cucumber. They are the "worms" that eat the sand and poop it out. One thing, be warned that these guys are trouble if they are harrassed or even touched. When you buy him, I highly suggest getting him while he is wedged in a rock, because cucumbers absolutely hate being touched and that will minimize him "nuking" your tank. If someone touches him (while he is bagged), he will get extremely scared and might nuke your tank.

 

i would not get any type of cuke if you have fish..ive bought 4 cucs out the four my pink cuc is the only one that didnt nuke my tank...3 tiger tails i bought all nuked my tank...just leave the sand sifting star to do its thing remember those are not for looks they are workers helping you out..like rickster said if stays in one spot it means it found some eats!