Got Video of my Sandsifting Starfish Nightly Cruise

[NanoKat]

I had a sandsifter before that would make a 360 degree run around the tank each nite at the same time each day. Well, I just put another one in the tank and it just did the same thing...he looked so cool crusing on the glass I decided to see what kind of macro video I could do to show it...here's what I came up with, enjoy!

 

[invertigator]

That is a very neat video, thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[ReefWreak]

Very cool video.

I had one, but he died. It has bewildered me forever what could have killed him.

 

[NanoKat]

You know, I had one a couple of years ago for quite a while...not sure what happened to him. Then I had a couple in the last year and a half or so that got dismantled my assorted tankmates :eek1: . It was horrible seeing it each day with one less leg, not knowing which other creature was doing it since I never saw it happen. I think it was my emerald crab and a supposed pistol shrimp that I think was really a tiny lobster.

The only antagonist I have in my tank now is a banded coral shrimp and I don't think he even goes low enough to notice the starfish anyway. I'm done with bullies...I want to get the shrimp out of there anyway, but I don't seem to be able to trap him...the female died, so at least I only have one to get out now .

 

[pedromatic]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10994056#post10994056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefWreak
Very cool video.

I had one, but he died. It has bewildered me forever what could have killed him.

SS Stars are very sensitive to changes in water quality. Also, they can be predated by various fish, or simply starve to death when they've cleaned out your sand bed.

I currently have 2 SS Stars in my 90, they've totally cleaned out all the spaghetti worms that were wall to wall in the sand bed and now when I feed my fish they roam around a bit. I think they're getting hungry.

 

[ReefWreak]

I think mine starved It was the only critter eating out of my 120s sand bed, but ::shrug:: who knows. No fish predated on it. It just died, sitting stiff on the top of the sand surface for a few days. I flushed him when he started turning green.

 

[Chef Reef]

heh... he goes for a nightly jog

 

[scubasteve247]

cool vid kathy, i could see the lil copepods running around on the glass.

 

[ninjamini]

I have read that these can go in only the largest well established tanks. 100+ gallons.