Sand Sifter Sea Stars

[TheGuyWho]

In a newly established (debatable) tank. I bought them from one of the lfs's when I bought my 2 peppermint shrimp, and clean up crew. Im recieving some feedback that this was a bad move. Can you guys/gals educate me a bit on them? Get them out, leave 'em, etc...?
Thanks.

[pagojoe]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1555935&goto=nextnewest

[TheGuyWho]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14374345#post14374345 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pagojoe
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1555935&goto=nextnewest

Thanks for that link, it was both helpful and everwelming. Hahaha. I'm still kind of confused, but I'm learning.

[pagojoe]

Well, that was a bad link, since I used the search link and it's wrong now. It could be that you have a totally different type of star from the ones normally referred to as "sand sifting stars." If you do have one of the Astropecten or Luidia species, you should be aware that they may deplete the fauna living in your sand bed, and that they often starve to death and die without warning. If they sold you brittle stars, which have skinny arms which are flexible, those are scavengers and may be great in your tank. What do they look like?

Cheers,



Don

[TheGuyWho]

They look like this (taken 5 minutes ago). They are about 1-2"

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z239/spartacusurf3/Fish%20Tank/100_5413.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z239/spartacusurf3/Fish%20Tank/100_5411.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z239/spartacusurf3/Fish%20Tank/100_5412.jpg

[zooty]

Those are sand-sifters.
One may be OK in an established tank with a deep sand bed.

2 in a new tank will just die in a couple months.

The thread he tried to link to talks about how Stars in a smallish (<100 g) tank will basically destroy and eat all of the good stuff living in the sand and eventually kill the sandbed and themselves. They are best left out of tanks altogether or in large tanks with 4-6 inch sandbeds.

If I was you I would take them back.
Maybe add 1 in a year but I prefer conchs myself.

[pagojoe]

Yup. If you want to try to keep them, you might try feeding them some meaty food and see if they'll eat it. Maybe dice up a frozen (thawed) shrimp and put it beside them to see if they'll crawl over to investigate. If not, they won't live long in a new tank.

GL,




Don

[pagojoe]

By the way, I had one that looked very similar to yours, maybe exactly like yours, that massacred a whole herd of small Conus bandanus in a matter of a few hours. It didn't seem to be able to kill any of the other Conus species, but for whatever reason, it was successful with that species.



Don

[TheGuyWho]

OK, Thanks guys! Ill see what I can do about them... My wife is going to be bummed we gotta get rid of them, but better safe than sorry, right? Maybe ill swap them out for two fish???