Fish For Churning Sand

[babybell911]

hey i would like some fish that burrow in the sand also compatable with my stocking. I seen some eels that burythemselves something like that would be good if possible suggestions?

 

[scubadoo]

nmonks's post on sand as substrate mentions numerous fish that do this, but he actually recommends malayan livebearing snails as the best for the job

not everybody wants snails tho'

 

[johnatkin]

I think I read somewhere that khuli loaches bury themselves in sand so they may help churn it.

 

[babybell911]

are khuli loaches good for a community tank? I have one mts at the moment

 

[johnatkin]

Khuli locahes are a very peaceful fish but need keeping in groups. They hide away a lot of the time.

 

[Tommy Gunnz]

I think snails are a pretty good idea, but they can be tricky. We had a small 10 gallon tank especially for some snails and it got over run pretty fast. They were apple snails and so I am not familiar with most other snails except for what I have read on here.

However, I do know a little about the eels you mentioned. I have two peacock eels and yes, they are really good at burying themselves and would most likely be ok at 'churning' a sand substrate. I did notice though that you have quite a few 'bottom dweling' species and this could cause the eels to stay in one spot and not dig around much.

I bought my eels not only because I thought they were awesome, which they are, but also to 'pick up' after the other fish. This worked great for a while, but then I noticed them getting skinny because as my other fish got bigger, there was less and less food getting to the bottom of the tank. The problem then became trying to get food to the bottom and I was forced to over feed the tank until I could get a tank solely for the eels.

So, while I am not sure if eels would be the best option for your tank and the purposes you need them for, I hope I could help point out some of the problems that eels may cause. Also, you will have to consider your tank size, as usual.

 

[babybell911]

thanks tommy. Are khuli loaches like eels? Or would they be ok??

 

[scubadoo]

khuli loaches are fine in community tanks generally, but I believe its best to keep 3 or 4 if you can 'cos they'll be more active if you do.

they tend to hide away quite a bit if lonely.

also make sure you have a good seal around your hood and filter bits etc - they can be masterful escapologists and can fit into spaces that you didn't believe existed.

 

[babybell911]

I could do 3 but then would ibe overstocked? Especially with bottom dwelling things?

 

[scubadoo]

the good thing about khulies is that even though they grow fairly long, they add little to the bio load, so not the best fish to use the "/gallon rule of thumb on.

 

[wendywc]

IMO, I think you are already overstocked so I would go for the MTS snails. Don't be afraid of having snails.

 

[babybell911]

i dont mind having snails i like the mts they nice looking i just dont knowanywhere to get them from

 

[Boxermom]

Most LFS/LPS will be more than happy to give you some for free.