WHAT! Something ate my sandsifting starfish :(

[Rockblast]

Guys,

I just noticed one of my sea creatures just ate my sand sifting starfish. I only see a leftover of one of it legs in my tank.
I have no idea which one of my creatures might of ate him up.

Here is my current livestock:
Mandarin
Clownfish
2x Red Coris Wrasse
2x Damsel
Coral Banded Shrimp
Peppermint shrimp
Rock Urchin
2x Tigerstriped Starfish
1x serpent starfish
2x Emerald crabs (they are small)
2x Sea Cucumber
1x Sea Hare

Which one of these do you think might of have eaten him?
Ok no more sandsifting starfish for me

 

[whaler1582]

are you sure he isin't under the sand? they do bury and you won't see any part of them. i wouldn't give up yet on him being eaten. check around in the sand for him.
Josh

 

[Rogger Castells]

I will bet it was the formosa wrasses, they are formidal hunters and will hunt everything, they are not suitable for reeftank settings for this reason, they will grow to be 2' (yes two feet). do expect them to go after the shrimps & crabs next.

 

[Rockblast]

Yep he's all eaten up 100% sure.

I'm also pretty sure that it is the formosa wrasse. Oh wel I hope he doesnt go for the shrimp.

 

[ninjamini]

How long have you had him? Is he in that 55 gallon tank. Its more likely that he starved to death and either dissolved or was eaten by the clean up crew. They need a really big tank to satisfy there appetite.

 

[REDDAWG43]

A while back my wife insisted on a sand sifting star,
about 2 days after it entered the tank, it just sort of
fell apart until there was nothing left but small bits....
I do not have anything that could have eaten him.
I guessed that my tank was not established enough to provide enough food so he starved and fell apart...

 

[jessp]

that happened to me when i first got into the hobby, after a month of so it fell apart.

 

[db_triggerfish]

I have read several post about how they fall apart, changes in salinity exposure to air some of the reasons given. I had one for almost a year in my 16g nano i don't know how it lasted that long in a tank with very little sand 1 and 1/2" deep. So last month i waited for a lfs to get new batch in, for my new 90g, they got in about a dozen in plastic bag on the floor Thursday evening i came back Friday evening to buy one most dead or were missing parts.

 

[Rockblast]

I had him for about a month and yeah it was in my 55 gallon tank.

 

[pedromatic]

Starfish are VERY touchy to changes in salinity. You must acclimate them very slowly or they die and fall apart.

 

[Rockblast]

Wel I keep my tanks salinity very precise. But yeah ill make sure to acclimate a lot slower.

Thanks

 

[ahoyhoy239]

i had two in my 55, the smaller one fell apart slowly till it died about 3-4 weeks ago, the larger one was about twice the size of the other and looks very healthy, so i guess it was eating all the food and starving the smaller one

 

[Von_Rahvin]

i had 2 in a 24 gallon, 1 was eaten by a mushroom after being in the tank for 5 months and the other is still going strong 3 months later.

 

[Rockblast]

Wow this starfish is not tough at all. I'm not buying another one ever again.

Thanks guys