really good algae eaters

[Mmorse]

I need an ivert or something that will do a good job on my sand bed. The turbo snail I have goes around the bottom edges of the tank and the rocks. My two zebra hermits are very good workers they just stay on the rocks. And the scarlet hermit is just lazy and dosent do much. I just got him because his shell had feather dusters on it and it looked cool;) Now I just need something that will be very good for cleaning sand. any suggestions? Also is it normal for a snail to leave piles of crap all over the tank?

[Pink_Mist]

Nassarius snails are really good at eating detritus in your sand, and they give the added benefit of stirring it up. They're not really algae eaters, though. Cerith snails will eat algae wherever they find it, and burrow into the sand, also. I have both and they seem to do a good job. Also, seem fairly hardy as far as snails are concerned. I've seen alot of recommendations for Fighting or Queen Conchs, but they can get big, so keep that in mind. Brittle stars are sand sifters, but they, too, get large and may eat your fish if there isn't enough food. Sea cucumbers are supposedly another good sand cleaner, but when stressed or frightened, they spit their guts up. With a small tank, this could be a very bad thing. I'd recommend doing a search on all these and see what people say about them. Also, you'll probably find some other good suggestions. I've had good luck with the snails mentioned, but haven't tried the others. HTH.

[Mnesarchus]

Get a really small sand-sifting starfish. Mine does wonders on a sandbed.