Thoughts on sand sifting star

[Pico1]

I picked up a sand sifting star the other day and it seems to be doing great but a quick google search made me second guess my purchase. What do you guys think- great addition to a clean up crew or something that will suck up all the good stuff out of my sand bed and eventually starve?

 

[jtarmitage]

IF you have a BIG tank, and IF the sand in the tank is for decorative purposes only, then they can make a great addition. I had a pair in my 225g and they were great. If you are using the sand bed in the tank as any form of biological filter or a place to grow pods, or if the tank is less than say 180g.....not such a good idea.