sand sifting star vs. hector goby vs. conch

[troni]

i have a 20g about 2 months old. im looking for something that will turn my sand so it looks pretty.
nassarius snails do a perimeter and a zig through the middle also i noticed they just slide right over top of everything. my sand bed is fine to bigger pieces and this is what i used http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147301

goby will eat detritus and turn sand and apparently eat good bacteria quickly. but also cloud my tank.

stars will just sift sand but apparently need a very live bed but also heard they dont.

conchs get to big.

[toytech]

fighting conches dont get very bit at all and do a great job . My sand was grey and full of green hair algea and my conch ate it all.

[janalta]

A Sifting Star won't survive long in a tank that new and that small.

[daniella3d]

where do you guys find fithting conch? I never saw any locally...is there a place to order them online? or does anyong know a place to buy them in MOntreal?

[milano07]

where do you guys find fithting conch? I never saw any locally...is there a place to order them online? or does anyong know a place to buy them in MOntreal?

Ocean Aquatics and J$L often have fighting conches in stock.

[Proteus]

Fighting conchs have Been fairly common in Edmonton
I prefer them To the spider conch as the larger shells get in way

[whatcaneyedo]

The only people that I've personally known to keep sand sifting stars alive long term had 500 and 225gal aquariums with very large sand beds. I foolishly tried one myself years ago in my 120gal when it had 90lbs of sand. At that time the sand was only 1-2 years old and the star lasted about a month.

Cerith snails might be a good choice for you. They stay small and they eat algae in and around the sand bed unlike nassarius which are detritivores. To start I'd only buy one or two for that little tank then see how they do before adding more.

[Proteus]

I kept two sand stars in my 180 for about 6 months. Then I sold one as I was a little concerned about the starving. Now I have had one for a year and is doing great. I have also kept a marble fromia which I have seen feed on everything from HA to cyano. Though I am not sure about there diet completely.

A sand sifter goby may work well for you but the people who I know loved them then regretted it after.

[fishytime]

you could think about a two spot goby.......they stay small and sift the sand......might spit sand on corals on the sand bed and they are a goby, so they can be a "flight risk".... http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+31+216&pcatid=216

[troni]

i'm just going to have to choose one and fly with it.

[intarsiabox]

I have a diamond goby (Valenciennea puellaris) that does a fantastic job of keeping the sand white. Mine has stayed small and tends to spit out the sand just above the bed rather than carrying it up into the water column like other gobies. The goby can get up to 6" but mine hasn't grown over 3", you may have to move it to a larger tank down the road if it does get big. They are common in Edmonton but call around for prices, the same fish ranged in price from $20 to $60 depending on the store. They will also eat regular fish food. Mine was shy and didn't do much for 2 weeks but now he is always cleaning and never hides.

[troni]

ive done lots of research on them but get to big... i've been hearing move to a larger tank waaaaay to much lately. i must be running into some money here soon!

[Cubeman]

I think the fighting conch is too big for the 20. I've got one in a 90 and the available sand bed barely seems big enough for it (they don't climb well so you need lot's of open space). I would support the Hector's Goby (or a Rainfords) as a good choice for your situation.