Sand sifting star fish

[lisaFL]

Good idea?
My mom and I just got a sand sifting star fish for my 10g, and its well buried under my sand.
Anything i should know about it?

[ophiuroid]

Unfortunately, it will starve. This animal can not typically be spot fed, and will die in the overwhelming majority of cases in a tank smaller than 100g. Even in larger tanks, it is questionable. It only eats the animals that are in a sand bed. I would very strongly encourage you to return it to the store.

In addition, tank parameters - esp specific gravity, must be kept very constant. In smaller tanks, it is very difficult to do. I do not recommend any seastars or brittlestars in tanks this small I am afraid. The tank should at least be 6 or more months old, with pristine water parameters, and specific gravity 1.025-1.026.

Really, I strongly encourage you to return it. It is very very unlikely to survive in your tank longer than 8-12 months, if that.

[petoonia]

I agree definately return it, or find someone who has an appropiate tank for it. It might take a while but it will definately starve to death.

In the future please research before you buy.

Good Luck!!!

[FLricordia]

I put 6 Fiji in a 240 with 400# LS and they are dioing OK. But I guess you are warning that a nano tank wouldn't sustain them. I thought they ate algae? No? At night they are all out and accounted for after 3 months so I guess they are eating something, huh? Pellets are dropped in the tank before lights out. I think they are feeding on these.

[jdieck]

My survival rate is two sansifting for a 225 gal. More than that and they starve so in a 10 gal I'll give it no more than a couple of months maybe so I will strongly encourage you to return it. It is unfair to let the poor critter starve.

[petoonia]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8369962#post8369962 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FLricordia
I put 6 Fiji in a 240 with 400# LS and they are dioing OK. But I guess you are warning that a nano tank wouldn't sustain them. I thought they ate algae? No? At night they are all out and accounted for after 3 months so I guess they are eating something, huh? Pellets are dropped in the tank before lights out. I think they are feeding on these.


A 240G is definately an appropiate tank. They actually eat all of the critters living in your sand bed. Just keep an eye on them in the future if they eat up the pod population they could begin to starve. If their eating the pellets that should help them out though. Sounds like a really nice set up.

Sand sifting starfish should definately not be kept in smaller systems.

[ophiuroid]

Also keep in mind that if you have not had them at least 18 months, you have no way at all of knowing how healthy they are. They can take an extremely long period to starve 8 to 12 months easily, after digesting their internal organs, and you will know nothing. Most people think they die from being attacked by something, but in fact, they starve and start to disintegrate, losing large sections of their arms, and then just being gone.

They have NO need for LR rock really, except that it may help get critters into a sand bed. Unlike Linckia, these types of stars need wide open expanses of sand, not rock. And they definitely do not eat algae, nor do they typically scavenge food or pellets ,or eat detritus. They ARE eating the critters that do, however.