Sand sifting Starfish

[BonesCJ]

Just wanted to double check something with the board, I have read lots and lots of posts and info about sand sifting stars and the starvation problem that seems to affect most of them. I am planning on adding one to my 220 gallon system in a effort to keep my sand stirred. I have 14 sq feet of tank with a great majority of that being sand. I also have a fully functional refugium with sand, rubble and cheato. The system has been in operation for 2+ years even though for a period everything was in tubs and buckets while the tank was repaired but all was kept alive.

so...
after all that....

any reason I should not add just 1 sand sifting starfish to my system?

oh and last bit, I do have other sifters like nassarius and cerith snails and have achieved the right balance of those, adding a sand sifting gobie would bury alot of my sand dwelling corals.

 

[ROB2005]

If you dont mind having your sandbed void of "living" critters (crustaceans, pods, etc) then you can keep one. Keep in mind that these stars eat round the clock, and stay hidden for periods of time and will starve once all sand life has been consumed. So if you dont mind having to locate and dig him out to place a piece of food under him, go for it.

 

[ritter6788]

I have one. I never feed it. I've had it for 2 years. I keep hearing about how it will wipe out the sandbed and die within weeks but it has survived so far. If I knew then what I know now I wouldn't have gotten one but it was one of the 1st things I bought when I set up my saltwater tank and it's still going. I had it in a 45 for a year with a shallow sandbed and now I have it in a 75 with DSB.

 

[borcu]

they only disturb and ruin your sand bed and get nonfunctional. be aware..