Sand Sweepers

[pairustwo]

I've got a small 15 gallon tank lightly stocked with white sand as a substrate.

There is a good deal of "gunk" collecting on the surface of the sand.
I was sold a fish - the name of which I cannot recall - that would nibble at the sand surface. This keep things pretty clean. I don't know if the fish was consuming the "gunk" or just stirring things up.

This fish has passed away. Can anyone else recommend a creature that would keep the sand looking fresh. I was thinking frogs or some burrowing type of fish.

Thanks
pairustwo

 

[black hills tj]

You could go with some malaysian trumpet snails. they sift the sand during the night, and burrow down in it to sleep during the day.

 

[rkilling1]

Your best course of action would be to clean the tank weekly. Not many creatures will eat fish poo.

You don't have to dig into the substrate to clean in. Just hover the python, of whatever you use, over the sand and that will get ride of it.

I would also recommend getting some MTS's as black hills tj has suggested. They do a great job of cleaning the sand and mixing it up.

 

[Alshain]

As suggested MTS will churn the substrate and nothing will eat waste (except bacteria). However if it is excess food you are referring to, many creatures will clean this away. Any bottom feeder such as corydoras, loaches, or even apple snails will make quick work of it.

As for the fish you are looking for, if the fish nibbled at the surface it was most likely a loach (clown, yoyo) or a cory. They are bottom feeders that have small mouths and appear to "pick" at the substrate.

Dojo Loaches burrow in the substrate. Although they tend to just stir up the gunk and eat the excess food. They are a lot of fun to watch when they are above the surface. Sometimes they only bury themselves halfway which is amusing as well. They prefer a more sandy bottom or a mix of sand and substrate pebbles. Straight pebbles are ok but more difficult for them to burrow and large rock substrate will make them miserable. Unfortunately, 15 gallons is probably too small for them when they get older.

I would recommend cories personally. They are a good small all around fun fish.

 

[theotheragentm]

Nothing will eat pure waste, but I have seen shrimp nibble at strings of fish poo. They're probably picking out undigested pieces of food in it though, still leaving enough of a mess.

 

[pairustwo]

I think some of the "gunk" might be algae. It is sort of blows around when I use the vacuum but seems to be to heavy to get sucked up. It also sort of clumps together.
I have several small patches the largest maybe the width of a dime. It doesn't appear to be strings of poo at all. I'll give the dojo loaches and the MTS a try. Churning waste into the sand can only help the plants right?

Pairustwo

 

[Alshain]

I think some of the "gunk" might be algae. It is sort of blows around when I use the vacuum but seems to be to heavy to get sucked up. It also sort of clumps together.
I have several small patches the largest maybe the width of a dime. It doesn't appear to be strings of poo at all. I'll give the dojo loaches and the MTS a try. Churning waste into the sand can only help the plants right?

Pairustwo

I only mentioned the dojo because it sort of fit the description of your fish, I can't recommend one with a 15 gallon tank really. The MTS will do the job though

Churning waste into the sand doesn't help the plants or hurt them, waste turns to ammonia to nitrite to nitrate which is absorbed by the entire aquatic plant, not just the root. Churning the sand will prevent pockets of Nitrate from developing though, which if accidentally released, can kill your fish. Since sand clumps better, these pockets are actually a bigger problem with sand then normal substrates.