sand sifting starfish

[mattkroeker]

got a lil starfish that looks identical to this one last week.

i have a month old biocube hqi 29 gal with 150w halide lighting.

how do i keep this starfish alive? i know i should have made this post before buying it :-hmm4:
we only have 2 clown fish - do we have to give this little guy away to our LFS?(just to save his life)

 

[tanked37]

The starfish will consume all the beneficial life in your sand bed (ie worms, etc), and then die. I wouldn't have bought it, and would try to return it. That's my honest opinion. If you want to keep it alive, then just try to put food next to it and hopefully it eventually eats it if it's still there.

 

[mattkroeker]

thnx tanked, i will try to return but if the LFS does'nt take him back, can i feed him by placing frozen brine shrimp underneath him?

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

No, it likely won't eat it. Like tanked mentioned, they eat the microfauna in the sand bed. Most live only a few months time then start to disintegrate. Some survive much longer in really large tanks.

 

[mattkroeker]

Ye we are gonna try to find him a better home.
I contacted local aquarium too to see if they can adopt him.

No, it likely won't eat it. Like tanked mentioned, they eat the microfauna in the sand bed. Most live only a few months time then start to disintegrate. Some survive much longer in really large tanks.

 

[Showdizzle]

The starfish will consume all the beneficial life in your sand bed (ie worms, etc), and then die. I wouldn't have bought it, and would try to return it. That's my honest opinion. If you want to keep it alive, then just try to put food next to it and hopefully it eventually eats it if it's still there.

+1 my brother sandsifter did exacty this... at least we think he did.