What cleans sand beds?

[mikey98]

I am new to the live rock and live sand part of salt-water tanks. My sand is not really live yet. I just set up the tank about a month ago with live rock and aragonite. I have started to get some growth on top of the sand and it looks terrible. It is brown in color and I would like to get it off. I want to have clean white sand for my tank. Am I crazy to want this? Would it be too much work? Are there animals that will help me with this task? Also what is good for keeping hair algae at a minimum? Other than daily harvesting. I have a 55g glass tank with MH and NO lighting. Two-175w MH and two 40w NO actinic. Right now I only have 4 yellow damsels and one blue damsel. I want more fish and some corals but all in due time. I would like to get an anemone with some clown fish, and some gorgonians and maybe some green star polyps. I also want to get some starfish and some other things but I have to do a lot more reading. What can help me? If you need more info just ask.

 

[Reefguide]

Well fighting conchs would be a good Idea I think a 55g would be okay for a Queen conch too. Be carefull with critters that help "clean" your sandbed. Some will clean out you sand beds critters too, sand sifting stars to name one. Hermit crabs do a rather poor job IMO but its better than nothing...

 

[mikey98]

anything else?

 

[newkie]

First read this: http://rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm

Now that you fully understand DSBs (in case you didn't) you'll have a better idea that its the small critters, sand fauna... bugs, worms, microscopic stars and bivalves, etc that really keep it clean. That said, get a Holothuria sp cucumber for every 50 gals. I have a bunch of brittle and serpent stars which help with the entire tank. Plus an algae blenny who keeps things stirred up. HTH