Some thoughts...
The reason for having sand sifters is to keep the top 1" or 2" of sand free of caking
detritus and to keep it oxygenated. That being said...
Most sand sifting Gobies eat the things in
DSBs that we are fostering to grow. That's why they are "sifting" the sand. Also, sand sifting starfish do the same thing. They bury themselves over a spot, invert their stomach, dissolve the edibles and move on to the next spot to repeat the action. Cool critters but not desirable in a reef system, in my humble opinion. I've had them, never again.
The burrowing sea cucumber is more desirable as a sand bed cleaner being a true
detritus eater. However, as cool as the Tiger is to look at, don't expect to see them very often. They mostly remain buried in the sand.
I have a bunch of Jumbo Cerith Snails in my 135 and highly recommend them. Here is a picture...
from -
Reef Scavengers. They are a Florida based supplier I've bought from and trust. They have a wide variety of sand scavengers. Mention my name in your e-mail purchase. It won't get you a discount
but, it let's Dylan, the owner, know I'm recommending him.
Dick
