Sand Substrate cleaners?

I am trying something new with a 72 Bowfront I just got. Right now the tank is cycling, but it will house 3 4-inch Clown Loaches, a 4 inch Pearl Gourami, and a half dozen or so Otos. It is heavily planted.

What I am looking for is something that will dig around in the sand a bit and keep it clean for me. I know that I have seen tank using sand for substrate that have had algae growing on the sand and would like to avoid this if possible. Any Ideas?

Also, I would love to hear from anyone else using sand as substrate and any tips that they may have. I can't wait to get my Clown Loaches in here, I promised them that if they survived the move from PA to FL, and living in a cramped 15 gallon for a year and a half that I would buy them a luxiurious new home....it's almost ready. I was tempted to go salt with it, but I'm a man of my word, even if they can't hear me.

I have an elephantnose that is always sticking his *nose* in the sand. Mabe he is just looking for a tank mate that also keeps the sand loose as he hides in/under the sand, a tiretrack eel......Frank

Red Claw crab or other crusteceon. And yes I know I spelled that wrong.

The Doctor

'And isn't sanity really just a one trick pony anyway? I mean all you get is one trick, rational thinking, but when you're good and crazy, oooh oooh oooh, the sky is the limit!'-The Tick

Assuming it is not a sharp sand like builder's sand a few Corydoras would be a good addition. They are always digging around in the sand looking for bits of missed food. If you do have a sharp sand you probably want to stay away from Corys, the sharp sand wears down their barbels and since they pass a lot of sand through their gills it will also cause gill damage in an amazingly short time. There are quite a few different species of catfish that are quite active at the substrate level of an aquarium, check out www.planetcatfish.com for more info. You would probably want to stay away from any of the larger catfish though, they can be rough on a planted tank.

I have one 10 gallon tank with a lake sand substrate, nice and gentle for the Corys. It is a planted tank and I have two corys (had three one died, waiting to see if anything else dies before replacing it), a clown pleco, a small spotted raphael who is waiting for its real home to stabalize, and two banjo cats - at least I think I still have both of them, they dig down into the sand and I go for months without seeing them. I like the lake sand substrate. I have never had any troubles keeping it clean thanks to the Corys stirring it up, and it doesn't seem to pack down like builder's sand would.. Last time I was up to my parents home I picked up a couple more tubs of the stuff. I want to set up a larger tank with a sand substrate and see how some Geophagus like it.

Don't know,

Corys get along fine with orange gouramis, I believe that three spots should be about the same, might want to check with someone who has tried it though.

Lee.