Help With Sand Sifter

[christina_webbe]

Something is really wrong with my starfish (sand sifter). Either something is eating it or it has some sort of pung. There are white spots on his appendages and it looks like he is missing chunks of his flesh.

I have had this starfish over a year now and I am very concerned. Today is Wednesday and I just noticed this Monday.

Thanks for anybody's help.

Chris:smokin:

 

[Salamander]

He's starving to death. Not much you can do now.

Those guys don't do well in smallish tanks. Most would say don't get one to begin with. They are sandbed predators and will eat all the micro fauna then starve to death, literally falling to pieces.

 

[dippin61]

yup.. starving to death. especially in a 55g.

these stars are not suited for the aquarium hobby IMO. you need large tanks, and lots of sand for them to survive. they have a very slow metabolism, so it can take, months and months, and as you have found out, easily a year for them to start to die.

what is happening, is he is getting ready to drop limbs to protect his middle. He is starving, and will die if not taken care of right away.

SS stars are not scavengers, they are predators, and they prey on living fauna within your sand bed. In a 55g, he most likely depleted life in there long long ago.

 

[christina_webbe]

Oh no:'(

I did not do my research and they did not tell me that from the place I bought it. What do I do? Thanks

Chris

 

[Salamander]

Its sad but I don't beleive there is much that can be done. It may survive if placed into a large established tank. Most likely its a gonner.

No one selling these ever brings up or cares about proper husbandry for these creatures. They all just promote these as a "must have " creature to stir your sand bed. Just horrible. I agree with Dippin, they shouldn't be sold in this hobby. I guess they must be easy to collect in large numbers.

 

[dippin61]

dont fret christina. this hobby is full of misinformation, and sales pitches. The good side to this all though is, now you know. And hopefully you can pass on info to someone else that might consider a SS star.

The big thing I think people misunderstand about these, is that they are scavengers, and will eat anything, including prepared food. It isnt too often you find a SS star that will eat raw shrimp, or anything you try to feed it. They are kinda like mandarins in that respect. They prefer live fresh food, that they hunt for, and more often then not, refuse any prepare food.

They are predators. They hunt and eat all day long, every day. So you can imagine the damage he can do to a sandbed in a relatively short amount of time. And the less sand you have, the easier it is for them to reach everywhere in the sand, not giving your fauna the proper amount of time to reproduce.

 

[mosesbrown]

I have had one for a year now in a 75 and I am concerned that he may have depleated his food or will do some at some point.
What creatures in the sand do they eat, and is this something you can buy or grow in he fuge to keep it replenished?

 

[UnderCoverDork]

what if you dont have a fuge? how would you replentish the substrate? sorry for jacking you thread

 

[clevername]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9361223#post9361223 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dippin61
yup.. starving to death. especially in a 55g.

these stars are not suited for the aquarium hobby IMO. you need large tanks, and lots of sand for them to survive. they have a very slow metabolism, so it can take, months and months, and as you have found out, easily a year for them to start to die.

what is happening, is he is getting ready to drop limbs to protect his middle. He is starving, and will die if not taken care of right away.

SS stars are not scavengers, they are predators, and they prey on living fauna within your sand bed. In a 55g, he most likely depleted life in there long long ago.

Yeah, i have never heard of any Sandsifting star living for over 2 years. Even in HUGE tanks.

I had a 20 gallon nano, and this is one of the first things the LFS recomended......lol what a joke!

 

[dippin61]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9362704#post9362704 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mosesbrown
I have had one for a year now in a 75 and I am concerned that he may have depleated his food or will do some at some point.
What creatures in the sand do they eat, and is this something you can buy or grow in he fuge to keep it replenished?

well.. it would be kinda of hard getting food from a fuge, to the tank. The food he eats are the small little things in the sand. People tend to think that includes pods, but it generally it doesnt. Its all the micro worms and those animals less than 50 microns that live within the sediments, and some macro fauna/infauna, including spaghetti worms, tube worms.

One SS Star can dessimate a 5 inch sandbed, in an 75 gallon system, of living sandbed matter, in just a few weeks.

 

[dippin61]

that should read few months, not weeks..

thats what i get for not reading back.

 

[Azazael13]

silly question, SS Stars are different than Serpent Stars or Brittle Stars right?

 

[61scout80]

find your local reef club and give it to some one with an established tank, and then in a few months maybe they can pass it off to another and so on. no use just letting it suffer if you might be able to save it.

 

[saltpeter]

Don't like em . Eat all my goodies in the sand . Good thing is , they starve to death after eating all my goodies .

 

[dippin61]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9369698#post9369698 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltpeter
Good thing is , they starve to death after eating all my goodies .

how is that a good thing? it IS a living animal you know.........

 

[bertoni]

You can put it into a container of saltwater and then into the freezer. It'll die in short order, and expire without pain, as much as they can sense it.

 

[christina_webbe]

thanks for advice

thanks for advice

I know stocking my tank is my responsibility, but I am no microbiologist. I think the people that own the LFS should be more forthcoming and HONEST.

Yes, I will accept some of the blame, but people who have LFS, please don't just try to make a sale or get rid of some stock.

I believe LFS owners can recognize people who do no know what they are doing and take advantage of that. Not only are you making a quick buck from ignorance, but shamelessly sell animals you know do not belong with the customer.

I am often intimidated going into LFS. Sometimes it even feels as if I am taking too much of their time with all the questions I have. What has happened to customer service?

What?!!!! Customer Service? Oh, I guess I am really showing my age now.

 

[dippin61]

Re: thanks for advice

Re: thanks for advice

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9459223#post9459223 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by christina_webbe
I know stocking my tank is my responsibility, but I am no microbiologist. I think the people that own the LFS should be more forthcoming and HONEST.

Yes, I will accept some of the blame, but people who have LFS, please don't just try to make a sale or get rid of some stock.

I believe LFS owners can recognize people who do no know what they are doing and take advantage of that. Not only are you making a quick buck from ignorance, but shamelessly sell animals you know do not belong with the customer.

I am often intimidated going into LFS. Sometimes it even feels as if I am taking too much of their time with all the questions I have. What has happened to customer service?

What?!!!! Customer Service? Oh, I guess I am really showing my age now.

dont get me wrong here, i wasnt blaming you at all. I was referring to the LFS that sold you the animal. For them, it was all about a sale and getting that money, regardless of what eventually becomes of the animal.

 

[christina_webbe]

Ok, thanks

 

[dippin61]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9460204#post9460204 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by christina_webbe
Ok, thanks

I admit, sometimes i come across on these forums a little 'harsh'. but honestly, its just they way i type. I get in, say what i need to, get out . and sometimes i dont pay attention to how i say things. for that i apologize.