Starfish Question

[TikiDan]

What will eat a sand sifting star? Over the 3 years I have been in this hobby, I can't keep a sand sifting star in my display! They disappear after about 2 days. I had one in my refugium for months but my sand in the display was starting to look bad so I moved this one up top just to have it disappear! Here is a list of my inhabitants.

2 False perculas
Large H. Crispa anemone
1 sailfin Tang
1 Yellow tang
2 hippo tangs (I know, too many tangs. I saved these from being flushed. If you want 1 LMK)
1 scooter blenny
1 watchman goby
1 serpent star
1 golf ball sized gbta

And some snails and blue leg hermits.....that's it!

I have a 1.5 to 2 inch sandbed in the display and 2 inches in the refugium. I have close to 250 LBS of liverock.

At one point I thought I had a Mantis shrimp because I heard clicking in my tank, but I found a small pistol shrimp instead. I still occasionally here clicks but not as frequent as before. I assume that is another pistol.

My Serpent star has a tendency to lose legs, but always seem to be ok. About 3 months ago he only had 1 leg left But they regrew.

I also have about 100 or so asterina stars overpopulating the tank

So what is eating my sandsifters?

Thanks in Advance.

- Dan

 

[Dyngoe]

I can't believe anything you have would even hurt a starfish, let alone kill it. They probably just die under a rock or something. I've heard some say their survival is not the best. I've had good luck with them, but that's just my experience.

 

[650-IS350]

Are you sure you don't have a large mantis in there somewhere ?

 

[SFreefer]

Serpent star. I can almost guarantee it. I have a brittle star that is huge now. I caught him eating my sand sifting star. Every few days I'd see it with one less leg. Then one morning there he was in the maw of my brittle star one leg less.

Said brittle also ate leopard wrasse first night in tank. Anyone want a brittle star that is about 16+ inches across?

 

[650-IS350]

Green Brittle star I can see ( AKA GREEN DEATH ).. but green serpent... IDUNNO. but can be if its not fed enough....

 

[TikiDan]

My serpent is purple. As for the mantis...... I have spent days and days staring at my tank with a red flashlight and never find anything. A while ago, I made a trap out of a soda bottle and caught a small pistol shrimp but thats it, no mantis.
Do you think your starfish were eaten after they died, after all, serpents and brittles are scavangers right?

 

[SFreefer]

The sand sifter was still alive. I pulled it out of the mouth of the brittle and he was fine for another few weeks. The one morning he was just an oral disk and was being eaten by hermits and the like.