some critters added today!

[boomer135]

Went to the LFS today and they tested my water as they have been for over the last month, gave me a little PH rise for the tank and said I could add what I wanted as long as its a little at a time...I picked up some PM shrimp, watchman gooby, jawfish, and they also gave me a sifting star for free, two of its legs were "half legs" but they asked me If I wanted him for free, so I said why not...I'll see how these guys do, and hopefully in a couple more weeks I might beable to add my Harliquin tusk fish!

[Delr3]

Congrats, can't wait for my clcle to end so that I can do the same. I'm a little jealous. Thats cool that they threw in the star for nothing, must be good LFS to deal with. Have fun watching your new guys to day.

Del

[zdawgnight]

I think you should be worried about adding a tusk fish to the new inhabitants you aquired.

[loosecannon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14717367#post14717367 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boomer135
Went to the LFS today and they tested my water as they have been for over the last month, gave me a little PH rise for the tank and said I could add what I wanted as long as its a little at a time...I picked up some PM shrimp, watchman gooby, jawfish, and they also gave me a sifting star for free, two of its legs were "half legs" but they asked me If I wanted him for free, so I said why not...I'll see how these guys do, and hopefully in a couple more weeks I might beable to add my Harliquin tusk fish! That`s going to be an expensive way to feed that fish! The star is going to starve in your tank.:(

[boomer135]

I added the PM shrimp to eat off some aiptasia....I will start off the tusk fish ad a little one. I doubt theshrimp will survive him, although there are plenty of hiding spots...Why is the star going to die?

[loosecannon]

The sand sifting star = ( Astropeceten spp. Luidia spp. ) , feed on sediment infauna. They will eat everything in your sand then die! I like to make shore I can keep it a live before I bring them home. The lfs whan`t your $, they don`t care if the sale/ give you some thing that's going to die in a few weeks.

[boomer135]

sediment infaurna? I havent been doing this long so could you be more specific in newbie terms...

[mutateddogbone]

some people do not have much success with sand sifting stars. they do best in more established systems with detritus and other little critters for them to feed on. I have had my sand sifter for over 8 months and is doing fine and i also have a 72 bow. i would not get more than 1 though and any other sand sifting CUC will eat all of its food. i have no sand sifting snails or cucumbers to compete with its food and IMO that is the only way of keeping one

[boomer135]

ok gotcha, thanks for the heads up....what do you have stocked in your 72?

[mutateddogbone]

mated pair of maroon clowns, hippo tang, tomini tang, purple firefish, christmas wrasse, six line wrasse, purple pseudochromis, flame angel for fish, then i have about 4 or 5 hermits, about 15 turbo snails, 1 sand sifting star, about 90lbs of live rock and a variety of corals. granted i am a little overstocked for my size tank but i have more than enough live rock as well as an oversized skimmer and keep up on my water changes.

[loosecannon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14719340#post14719340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boomer135
sediment infaurna? I havent been doing this long so could you be more specific in newbie terms... The life in your sand!:(

[boomer135]

well that cant be good at allcan it?for the tank or the star...should I give it up or keep it?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14719463#post14719463 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loosecannon
The life in your sand!:(

[mutateddogbone]

i would give it to somebody who would have more use for it and have plenty to eat for it IMO