I have read the forums, etc and am getting mixed conclusions. I have a 45g display with an inch or so of sand. I also have a 20 gal tank DSB with a couple of rocks that also serves as my sump/fuge. I have a 10g packed with LR that I use for water changes etc, it works really well as anything I do in it gets buffered before going to the main system. The 10 has a slow return to the main system but its own power head for circulation. The 20 is loaded with life and has a 600 g/h turnover with the main tank and I keep a couple of fighting conchs and a few nar snails there to eat the detritus that settles there. This has been about a year and things are going well. In my display I vacuum every other week and get tons of detritus. I really do not give a cr__ about life in the displays sand. I tried the conchs in the display but they do not do the job. There can’t be much life in the sand since I vacuum it regularly. I tried not vacuuming the display sand bed for a few months but is just became a nutrient issue for the water requiring too many water changes. The tank is stocked close to the max. I have an automatic feeder that drops Omega One pellets in twice a day. I have it set to the minimum and it drops maybe 10 little pellets in. I add some meat or Cyclops in now and then as well as some nori once a week or so for them to munch on. Two small 6 line wrasses, 1 small yellow tang, one tomato clown (not so small), 3 green chromas (sp), 1 convict blenny, 2 yellow tail blue damsels, usual snails, hermits.
So the question is will the star eat the detritus once it has finished the rest of the life in the sand? There would be plenty for it if it did.
So the question is will the star eat the detritus once it has finished the rest of the life in the sand? There would be plenty for it if it did.
