sand sifter

[reefman MC]

Anybody got any ideas on a good sand sifter to keep my sand stirred up
some? It also needs to be inexpensive if possible, and it is a DSB.


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[Marc Levenson]

Fightin conch. One for every 2 sq ft of sand. Nassarius snails, as many as you like.

Marc


reefman MC wrote:

> Anybody got any ideas on a good sand sifter to keep my sand stirred up
> some? It also needs to be inexpensive if possible, and it is a DSB.
>
> --
> reefman MC
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> reefman MC's Profile: http://www.reef-chat.com/forum/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=7
> View this thread: http://www.reef-chat.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=7584

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[PaulB]

Yes, don't have one. The reason that many of these animals sift sand is
that they are eating the critters you want to grow there.

I would go with the nassarius snails because they are detritivores and only
hide in the sand. The fighting conch isn't too bad, but they get large and
IMO stir the sand up too much. I had an olive snail and got rid of it for
that reason
..

http://rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm



"reefman MC" > wrote in message
...
>
> Anybody got any ideas on a good sand sifter to keep my sand stirred up
> some? It also needs to be inexpensive if possible, and it is a DSB.
>
>
> --
> reefman MC
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> reefman MC's Profile:
http://www.reef-chat.com/forum/member.php?action=getinfo&userid=7
> View this thread:
http://www.reef-chat.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=7584
>
>

[Ct Midnite]

I just bought some Nassarius snails from Florida Pets for about $.50
apiece (before shipping). They are pretty amazing. Very active and
go less than 1/2 inch deep in the sand.

They move very much like a conch. They can "jump" quite far for their
size.

If you go to the site they also have Atlantic Cuc's that I also have
that are even more amazing at ingesting sand and keeping it clean.

Ct Midnite

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 04:03:54 +0000, reefman MC
> wrote:

>
>Anybody got any ideas on a good sand sifter to keep my sand stirred up
>some? It also needs to be inexpensive if possible, and it is a DSB.


http://www.geocities.com/ctmidnite53/

[PaulB]

If you put in a cucumber you won't get the full benefit of a DSB.


"Ct Midnite" <mreef2.10.muffin@spamgourmet.(nospam)com> wrote in message
...
> I just bought some Nassarius snails from Florida Pets for about $.50
> apiece (before shipping). They are pretty amazing. Very active and
> go less than 1/2 inch deep in the sand.
>
> They move very much like a conch. They can "jump" quite far for their
> size.
>
> If you go to the site they also have Atlantic Cuc's that I also have
> that are even more amazing at ingesting sand and keeping it clean.
>
> Ct Midnite
>
> On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 04:03:54 +0000, reefman MC
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >Anybody got any ideas on a good sand sifter to keep my sand stirred up
> >some? It also needs to be inexpensive if possible, and it is a DSB.
>
>
> http://www.geocities.com/ctmidnite53/

[Rod]

>If you put in a cucumber you won't get the full benefit of a DSB.
>

Care to elaborate?? Sand sifting cukes will not harm your sand bed at all.
Rod Buehler
www.asplashoflife.com

[Ct Midnite]

I'd like to know too.

I have a total of 5 of these cuc's and they never touch more than
surface sand. They don't dig or bury. They just lay on top and
pickup sand.

I have one Tiger cuc that is kind of a pain. He stays attached to the
rock work, partially hidden and just sticks out his head. That tends
to move sand into the rocks.

But the Atlantic yellow ones roam and leave it where they find it.

Ct MIdnite



On 30 Jan 2004 13:04:16 GMT, (Rod) wrote:

>>If you put in a cucumber you won't get the full benefit of a DSB.
>>
>
>Care to elaborate?? Sand sifting cukes will not harm your sand bed at all.
>Rod Buehler
>www.asplashoflife.com


http://www.geocities.com/ctmidnite53/

[PaulB]

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ADD "SAND-SIFTING" ANIMALS SUCH AS
BURROWING SEA STARS OR SOME GOBIES. These animals are "sifting" the sediment
to eat the sand critters that you need to have thrive. From this point,
gradually add more animals up to the desired level.

http://rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm



"Rod" > wrote in message
...
> >If you put in a cucumber you won't get the full benefit of a DSB.
> >
>
> Care to elaborate?? Sand sifting cukes will not harm your sand bed at all.
> Rod Buehler
> www.asplashoflife.com
>

[Rod]

Cucumbers are bacteria eaters and detritus eaters.. They are not sifting th
esand for the critters like the sand sifting stars and gobies.. I do agree that
the gobies and starfish should be kept away from A DSB, but I think that all
sandbeds diserve a cuke.
>
>UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ADD "SAND-SIFTING" ANIMALS SUCH AS
>BURROWING SEA STARS OR SOME GOBIES. These animals are "sifting" the sediment
>to eat the sand critters that you need to have thrive. From this point,
>gradually add more animals up to the desired level.
>
>http://rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm
>
>
>
>"Rod" > wrote in message
...
>> >If you put in a cucumber you won't get the full benefit of a DSB.
>> >
>>
>> Care to elaborate?? Sand sifting cukes will not harm your sand bed at all.
>> Rod Buehler
>> www.asplashoflife.com
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


Rod Buehler
www.asplashoflife.com

[PaulB]

Not to bad, but they are certainly consuming some of the life in the sand.
It seems to me that they must inevitably reduce the plankton produced by the
DSB, since these animals mostly live in the surface layer that these animals
consume.

I think it is similar to adding hermit crabs. They might have some
advantages but they will consume some desirable things too.

They certainly aren't necessary for a DSB, and I don't see any benefits to
outweigh their disadvantages as far as a DSB goes.

"Ct Midnite" <mreef2.10.muffin@spamgourmet.(nospam)com> wrote in message
...
> I'd like to know too.
>
> I have a total of 5 of these cuc's and they never touch more than
> surface sand. They don't dig or bury. They just lay on top and
> pickup sand.
>
> I have one Tiger cuc that is kind of a pain. He stays attached to the
> rock work, partially hidden and just sticks out his head. That tends
> to move sand into the rocks.
>
> But the Atlantic yellow ones roam and leave it where they find it.
>
> Ct MIdnite
>
>
>
> On 30 Jan 2004 13:04:16 GMT, (Rod) wrote:
>
> >>If you put in a cucumber you won't get the full benefit of a DSB.
> >>
> >
> >Care to elaborate?? Sand sifting cukes will not harm your sand bed at
all.
> >Rod Buehler
> >www.asplashoflife.com
>
>
> http://www.geocities.com/ctmidnite53/
>

[PaulB]

Perhaps not, but if they are ingesting the sand it stands to reason that
they are ingesting what is in the sand.

I am not sure that a 30 or 40 % reduction in plankton would be apparent to
the eye, but I am sure that my DSB does fine with no cucumbers.

Do what you want, but I will take a pass on cucumbers for the time being.


"Rod" > wrote in message
...
> Cucumbers are bacteria eaters and detritus eaters.. They are not sifting
th
> esand for the critters like the sand sifting stars and gobies.. I do agree
that
> the gobies and starfish should be kept away from A DSB, but I think that
all
> sandbeds diserve a cuke.
> >
> >UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ADD "SAND-SIFTING" ANIMALS SUCH AS
> >BURROWING SEA STARS OR SOME GOBIES. These animals are "sifting" the
sediment
> >to eat the sand critters that you need to have thrive. From this point,
> >gradually add more animals up to the desired level.
> >
> >http://rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm
> >
> >
> >
> >"Rod" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> >If you put in a cucumber you won't get the full benefit of a DSB.
> >> >
> >>
> >> Care to elaborate?? Sand sifting cukes will not harm your sand bed at
all.
> >> Rod Buehler
> >> www.asplashoflife.com
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Rod Buehler
> www.asplashoflife.com
>

[Rod]

>Perhaps not, but if they are ingesting the sand it stands to reason that
>they are ingesting what is in the sand.
>

Yes , Bacteria and detritus

>I am not sure that a 30 or 40 % reduction in plankton would be apparent to
>the eye, but I am sure that my DSB does fine with no cucumbers.
>

What 30-40% reduction??

Even if you are talking about a filter feeding cuke (sea apple) and not a sand
sifting cuke, the filter feeders are mainly feeding on phytoplankton not
zooplankton.

Rod Buehler
www.asplashoflife.com

[PaulB]

"Rod" > wrote in message
...
> >Perhaps not, but if they are ingesting the sand it stands to reason that
> >they are ingesting what is in the sand.
> >
>
> Yes , Bacteria and detritus

And copepods, worms, and other sand bed fauna. Not to mention that the
bacteria is one of the beneficial organisims in a DSB.

Besides, I doubt it has any ability to selectively filter organisims other
than bacteria and detritus and pass them through it's digestive tract
unharmed.

> >I am not sure that a 30 or 40 % reduction in plankton would be apparent
to
> >the eye, but I am sure that my DSB does fine with no cucumbers.
> >
>
> What 30-40% reduction??

The one that occours after a sea cucumber begins reducing your sand bed
fauna? Or maybe it is 20-50%, or 10-60%. It is certainly isn't zero.

Have you measured the zooplankton in a tank before and after adding a
cucumber?

Or is your claim that they have no impact on a sand bed based on the effect
not being obvious to a casual observer.

> Even if you are talking about a filter feeding cuke (sea apple) and not a
sand
> sifting cuke, the filter feeders are mainly feeding on phytoplankton not
> zooplankton.

I believe the thread is about sand sifting organisms.