Will starfish harm acrylic tank?

[XStroX]

I have a new acrylic tank which I've just started introducing fish/inverts/polyps to and I'm wondering about starfish. My wife really wants a sand sifting starfish. I've read that urchins and puffer fish will scratch the tank but how about starfish? I can't find anyone asking this so hopefully that means they are acrylic safe. How old should the tank be before I can add a sand sifting starfish?

Lastly, is there anything other than urchins, puffers (and potentially starfish) that I need to avoid with acrylic?

Thanks!

[degibson84]

sand sifting starfish will deplete the sand bed very fast even on a mature system. most will tell you wait a year and have a deep sand bed. also make sure your tank is large enough to handle its eating habits

[GhostCon1]

Originally Posted by degibson84

sand sifting starfish will deplete the sand bed very fast even on a mature system. most will tell you wait a year and have a deep sand bed. also make sure your tank is large enough to handle its eating habits

Please don't get a sand sifting star. If you really want a starfish, get a linckia. They come in beautiful blue and red colors. They can live off what is in the aquarium as well as eating leftovers and apparently asterina starfish.

Even then, wait for your system to mature some more to get the star.

[XStroX]

Thank you both for the response. I will hold off and go with a linckia perhaps down the road.

Will it harm the acrylic tank??

[GhostCon1]

Not at all. Pretty much the only thing that you need to worry about "harming" the acrylic is falling rock/coral and fish that like to sift sand and then dump it in the water column.