Tip of the Day – 12/4/2012

Have a problem with detritus and other unwanted items collecting in the sand? Well if increasing water either isn’t an option or just isn’t working, the next best step is to bolster your cleanup crew. But not all sand sifting detritivores are created equally. Sand sifting sea stars, for example, eat a limited amount of food off of the surface of the sand and only bury themselves in order to hide while digesting. Most snails perform similarly, often only hiding in the sand until it’s time to surface for feeding time. If you want a true sand sifter, look into sea cucumbers and sand sifting fish. The fish will physically gobble up bits of sand and eat stuff that has accumulated in it. Cucumbers pass the sand through their digestive tract and thoroughly clean it, often leaving small piles of “sand poop” as it chugs along. So if you have a detritus problem, get the right cleaner for the job, not just one that likes to play in the sand.