What's the best way to clean up after a messy puffer

[spoonmerlin]

I have a 75 with a bunch of live rock(80-100lbs) and a [acronym:2b815b4353="Deep Sand Bed"]DSB[/acronym:2b815b4353]. Other then a 3-4" Porc. Puffer I have a decent sized domino damsel and a rusty dwarf angel. Inverts are a red brittle star and large black long spine urchin. I think one peppermint is still in here from before I had a large Mantis get in and clean house. I got it out now, it was 2-3 inchs of mean.

I know some people have puffers that never nip at shrimp or crabs but mine is not as nice to his fellow tank mates. I have a red brittle star that it picks at when it can get to it. I have not seen it go after the urchin at all.

I want to get something to clean the sand and pickup the spare food that gets past the fish. I feed then a mix of different frozen foods. Some gets eaten right away and some sneaks past them.

Are Cucumbers and another urchin a good option. Or are there any good bottom dwellers that can pick up after these.

I have a large protein skimmer [acronym:2b815b4353="By the way"]btw[/acronym:2b815b4353]. I also know that 2 years or so down the line the Puffer will get to big for this tank so you don't need to post that.

[mp3z24]

urchins usually only eat algae... i doubt that will help with the food. i might suggest some bottom dwelling fish like a goby or a blenny. but if the puffer is large enough, the little fish might become the next meal..

i would let some others chime in with advice, though, since i have no experience with puffers.

~mike

[Jasonanatal]

I'm not to sure that this would help in your situation. I have a Volitan Lionfish and a Porcupine Puffer as well as a Snowflake Moray Eel. The Eel seem to do the job in eating water leftovers flow near his path. With the puffer your options are extremely limited as to clean up crews. Hope this helps.

[StripesTheEel]

Puffers will chomp down snails, shrimp, urchins, stars.. anything really. Im unsure about the cucumber though..

[Jasonanatal]

I'm pretty sure that the cucumber will also make it to the back of the milk cartons as well. I have been able to successfully house snails in my tank that my puffers ignore. I personally feel that they may be your best shot at a clean up crew. However, this is no guarantee that snails will successfully survive in your tank. Hope this helps.

[AMANIQU77]

Or you can probably add a couple of powerheads that shoot up the surface. They do the trick for me. They make these things fly up in the air (well, not really air but you will get the point). The fish will usually eat it thinking it's a new dump. The rest are sucked back into my [acronym:8fd9605066="Hang On Back"]HOB[/acronym:8fd9605066].

The poo and stuff that doesn't make it can always be cleaned with a weekly skim of your syphon (less than 10 percent of your diplay volume) on the surface of the [acronym:8fd9605066="Deep Sand Bed"]DSB[/acronym:8fd9605066]. Hope that helps.