Sand sifting star fish in bare bottom tank?

[Crush Coral]

I picked up a few fish and a sand sifting starfish. I put them in my bare bottom QT. Is there a problem with the starfish being in a bare bottom tank for a month?

Thanks

 

[Crush Coral]

bump - anyone keep one in a bare bottom tank?

 

[snorvich]

Yes, there is a problem because they will likely starve. Of course this forum is about reef FISH so you might get better answers elsewhere.

 

[SDguy]

Like Steve said, yes it's a problem. Unless you know how to feed the starfish, and do so on a regular basis, it will die.

 

[Gill_bucket]

Do you have a lot of stars? I guess I am just wondering why you would QT a star but I don't QT anything and I have definitely regretted it with fish before.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Given that it is called a "sand sifting" star, it would stand to reason that it would do well in a bare bottom tank. Even if you did have a sandbed, you would need a very large tank, and a very mature sandbed to provide enough food for it. Even then it would strip the sandbed of food in time.