Sand Sifting Star

[schnebbles]

I don't usually make impulse buys and I really screwed up and got one. The guy said they were great.

I don't want it to die or remove the good stuff from my sand. I live an hour away so it's not easy to return him.

I'll take him next time I go somewhere that sells salt fish, not sure when though.

Any tips? I have a 40 breeder running not quite a year.

I'm all worried about this and feel bad.

 

[Tripod1404]

Sand Sifting Star

I think sand 40 breeder is too small for a sand shifting star. It would also depend on your sand depth but considering your tank also contains live rock, amount of life it can consume from the sand in a 40 breeder is very limited.

Probably this is not the thing you want to hear but the star will most likely consume sand microfauna and than starve to death. Worse part is, most of the time they die under sand, so you won't know when it happens or where is the body and it can cause ammonia spike (this depends on the size of the star).


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[AlSimmons]

Without polluting the tank by overfeeding the starfish or the tank, just try to feed it... In other words take the time to put something in it's path. (do the work) If it latches on cool, if not, hmm.. Time will tell. Very tricky specimen, especially in a small tank. The odds just aren't with them, but that doesn't necessarily mean what you have is a lost cause... (some love/try) GL.

 

[mcgyvr]

Mine did just fine in my 40b (had it in there for over a year before I moved it into my new tank)

 

[schnebbles]

Do you guys know if they will eat large pieces of food such as krill or silversides? I picked up silversides for my rbta yesterday.

I read they usually starve and eat the good stuff out of the sand too. My main hope is that it doesn't starve, I feel bad.

I will try to spot feed it when I see it out.

Mcgyvr - do you still have it? did you spot feed it at all?

 

[mcgyvr]

Mcgyvr - do you still have it? did you spot feed it at all?

yep.. still have it.. never spot fed it anything.. It was doing just fine in my 40b until I upgraded..
Its now happily living in my new 80G tank.. Still not spot feeding it anything..

 

[schnebbles]

Good to know. I still may return it if I go back to that store which at the moment is unlikely because it's an hour away and I don't need anything. I just don't want it to starve.

I wish I had a fuge but no room unless I did a HOB one. Thought about that. I should do it, I got a scooter blenny that eats frozen but I'm always worried it doesn't get enough and now the star will eat pods that I wanted for it (if I even have them, I can't see them).