[My2heartboys]

I currently have a sand sifting snail and one of the fish that my kids are interested in is a watchman gobie. Knowing that these two have tendencies to dig into the substrate--how deep do I need to have it? Right now I have about a 2 inch depth.

Anne

[Peterock]

You want about a 3-4 inch sand bed with those guys. they will keep your sand looking clean and new on top layers. You might also want a sand sifting star fish as well.

[My2heartboys]

Originally Posted by Peterock

You want about a 3-4 inch sand bed with those guys. they will keep your sand looking clean and new on top layers. You might also want a sand sifting star fish as well.

Yeah, I want to get one, but being that my tank is brand new--I was trying to give the pods a chance to build up in my sand bed before doing that. I want to make sure that it has plenty to eat--before putting it in.

Anne

[saltjunkie]

dont get a sand sifting star unless you want no life at all in your sand bed..

[CaveManNOhio]

Originally Posted by saltjunkie

dont get a sand sifting star unless you want no life at all in your sand bed..

I think it also would depend on the size of the tank and how many you are putting in. I have one and I still see all kinds of life moving around in my sand bed. It has been in there for about 2 months. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I do have a 4" sand/coral bed in my 125.

[Poseidon]

Originally Posted by CaveManNOhio

I think it also would depend on the size of the tank and how many you are putting in. I have one and I still see all kinds of life moving around in my sand bed. It has been in there for about 2 months. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I do have a 4" sand/coral bed in my 125.

That's a short time, give the star some time, it will get bigger, then die of starvation once it wipes out the life... That is what happened when I tried one in my 135.... Against the advice of others here, I bought one, never again!

[CaveManNOhio]

Originally Posted by Poseidon

That's a short time, give the star some time, it will get bigger, then die of starvation once it wipes out the life... That is what happened when I tried one in my 135.... Against the advice of others here, I bought one, never again!

Then wouldn't that mean if you just keep your sand bed full of say copepods it would be able to find some thing to eat all the time? I have a real good connection for getting them here locally. Cheap as well. I think I may also be able to get amphipods. I will have to ask him. I just think one needs to consider the diets in their tanks and make sure you accomidate them. IMO

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by CaveManNOhio

Then wouldn't that mean if you just keep your sand bed full of say copepods it would be able to find some thing to eat all the time?

No, I don't think so. Copepods are epifaunal and sand shifting stars eat only infaunal critters. In other words, they don't actually eat stuff on the surface of the sand bed, only stuff beneath the surface. That's just the way they have been hardwired by evolution. And they are not scavengers either. How long they live in captivity depends on the size of the sand bed and the amount of appropriate prey it contains. I have no experience with them so I can't say for sure how long one can survive in a 125-gal aquarium. I have a suspicion that something on the order of a 300-gal aquarium may be a good minimum size to sustain a single specimen for several years.

P.S. -- Looks like my suspicion was correct but my guesstimate of the minimum size aquarium was woefully small. According to Dr. Ron Shimek they require a minimum of several square meters of sand surface to survive for more than a few months:

All of these stars tend to exhibit similar behavior. They move across the surface of sediments until they find an area that seems promising, after which they burrow down into the sediment, often rather deeply. While burrowing, any potential food items, and that may be effectively ALL animals, that they can catch are transported to the mouth, ingested and digested. When they are through cleaning the specific area of food, the stars surface to move to a new spot. They will generally not scavenge excess food remaining on the surface, needing instead to collect from below the sediment's surface. These stars need a significant variety of food for good health, and require a lot of food. The amount of animals in a rich sand fauna of a few square meters will support a 10 cm diameter star for no more than few months. Putting one of these animals into a tank with less than several square meters of sediment surface is condemning it to a slow death by starvation. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rs/index.php

[CaveManNOhio]

This is from Marine Depot Live, this is their diet needs for the Sand Sifter "Feeding: It likes to eat Eats benthic sand crustaceans like spaghetti worms, tube worms, copepods, amphipods and other sandbed infauna.. "
Now I know I can stock my tank with tons of copepods and amphipods. As for the two types of worms I'm not sure about. And I don't know what the other sandbed infauna would include. Mine has been in my system since June. I see him out and about on a regular baisis. I will have to watch out for him though, and I may consider taking him out and passing him on to some one who doesn't have one and hasn't had one so it will be able to feed in their tank. While my sandbed re-builds.

[My2heartboys]

Originally Posted by CaveManNOhio

This is from Marine Depot Live, this is their diet needs for the Sand Sifter "Feeding: It likes to eat Eats benthic sand crustaceans like spaghetti worms, tube worms, copepods, amphipods and other sandbed infauna.. "
Now I know I can stock my tank with tons of copepods and amphipods. As for the two types of worms I'm not sure about. And I don't know what the other sandbed infauna would include. Mine has been in my system since June. I see him out and about on a regular baisis. I will have to watch out for him though, and I may consider taking him out and passing him on to some one who doesn't have one and hasn't had one so it will be able to feed in their tank. While my sandbed re-builds.

While most have said that I am safe with a 2 inch sandbed, the one thing I have learned in this hobby (so far not the hard way thank goodness) is that it is a good thing to have a little more than needed and better to be safe than sorry.

I think I will try to get another inch to inch and a half of sandbed. Now to be able to do it without totally clouding the water and without having to go through the cycling process again.

Anne

[yankeebobo]

Whatever clouding does occur should clear in a couple days at best. As for adding the sand, add about 1/2 - 1 inch and cover about 1/3 of the tank. If you don't cover too much at once, the cycle should be minimized. Go slow - and it'll work out.

[My2heartboys]

Originally Posted by yankeebobo

Whatever clouding does occur should clear in a couple days at best. As for adding the sand, add about 1/2 - 1 inch and cover about 1/3 of the tank. If you don't cover too much at once, the cycle should be minimized. Go slow - and it'll work out.

Thanks for the support. The other reason that I hope it doesn't cloud or cycle is the fact that I have arranged to pick up my first coral from another club member on Saturday.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Anne