sand sifting ideas

hey everyone, long time no see...
well 2 weeks ago i got a fighting conch for my tank in hope that it would move the sand around. i was reading up on them, and what i saw was that they are supposed to get really into the sand and only come out when they smell food. but i've only seen mine bury itself once, its always in the surface of the sand. i've been sifting my sand myself because its very dirty. to be on the safe side, i only sift the visual sand, but i have a little cave that the sand is always dirty. i leave it dirty so that maybe if he decides to clean it he'll get in there.
should i get another one? or should i get something else?

 

I would only go with one Conch(may fight) and add a Sea Cucumber, some Nassirus snails and Serpent and/or Brittle stars> You have alot of detritivors and herbivores living within your substrate as burrowing organisms, such as polychaete worms, and tiny crustaceans that will feed on particulate matter and help to keep your phosphate level under wraps and clean your substrate as well so deitrtus doesn't accumulate.

 

I have a sand sifting star that does a great job of stirring my substrate. Only $10 at the lfs. I have had a difficult time keeping one alive longer then 6 months though. I think it has been my own fault keeping my water level steady though.

 

IMO, your sand sifting star didn't last that long because it starved to death. Your substrate has to be deep, fine grain and mature with numerous pods etc. with which to feed!
You also need a 125 gallon tank or so to enable it to scavange for food. The more surface area the better, to ensure the star is getting ample food in your substrate!

 

my sand sifter star does a great job for me as well. i have had it for at least 2years. they seem very hardy

 

thanks, i think im going to get a small star. the only thing is that i need to wait a while, my nitrates are extremely high. so im going to wait it out, so that nothing else dies.

i was reading on the stars and saw that someone said that they eat small fish. is this true? i have two, small firefish.

is there a specific sand sifting star that i should get?

 

Squirt
the stars are really cool but Coral Reefer is right you need a big tank 125g or more to keep one. I have a 55g and I can see the legs already turning in which means it's dying (starving). I have tried to give it formula 1/2 pellets and dried seaweed but it doesn't seem to eat it. I have done a lot of research in the last few days and majority says they need a larger tank.

I would suggest a few of the nasserius (?) snails. From what I read they stir your substrate really good by burying themselves into it.

Just a suggestion.

 

Nassarius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have about 25 of these in a 55 gal and they are always in the sand and only come out when they smell food. I am ordering 100 of these for my 265 because the stir sand so good. If you are getting a green britle star I would watch out because when they get big you will start missing shrimp, small fish..etc.

 

ok, so no star. fish place guy suggested it thats why i was considering it. im going to wait for my nitrates to regulate, then ill see whats going to be best for my sands condition. thanks for the suggestions, i will keep it in mind. oh and thanks for the site otty...

 

pistol shrimp... thats all i have to say about this matter... rofl. i went through this when you where just starting up on this site. i remember because i had two problems,

1. sandsifting ideas

2. looking for pistol shrimp.

i found the pistol shrimp first and my other problem went away. mainly because the shrimp will not sleep, eat, drink, reproduce... all they think about is moving sand... and that is all they have done for the past 4 months...

they are great and not too noisy