are sand sifting stars bad?

canes52 · 03/21/2010, 06:43 PM

I heard that sand sifting stars can be bad for ur sand in a reef tank. Is that true?

rxonco · 03/21/2010, 06:51 PM

If you're wanting to utilize your sand bed as a filtration method, then yes. Sand sifting stars will decimate your sand bed's population of critters which are beneficial to its makeup.
They look cool, but I'd stay away from them.

Lightsluvr · 03/21/2010, 07:24 PM

Depends on how much sandbed you have... In a small tank, I agree with rxonco.
In a large tank with hundreds of pounds of sand in the bed, there is plenty of waste and organics to go around for snails as well as sand-sifting gobies and star fish. JME.

LL

Deprecated · 03/21/2010, 07:41 PM

Years ago before I knew better I had a sand sifting star. It wiped out everything living in my sand bed and eventually starved to death I assume as it just disappeared. This was 65 gallon tank with roughly 80lbs of sand.

Jachael · 03/21/2010, 07:48 PM

+1 on the depends on tank.

If it's a large tank 125g, 200-300g, (pretty large) with a DSB, then ONE won't have a huge impact. I have heard of success in smaller tanks 55-100, but I wouldn't risk it.
Also, maybe this doesn't need said, but just in case... I also wouldn't try one without a DSB due to the sifting star's feeding method.

rxonco · 03/21/2010, 08:03 PM

This comes from Dr. Ron Shimek's site:

"...UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ADD "SAND-SIFTING" ANIMALS SUCH AS BURROWING SEA STARS..."

http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

Mordoff · 03/21/2010, 08:24 PM

I dont get why everyone thinks they wont survive in smaller tanks. No joke, Ive had one in my 24gal nano cube for over a year and its doing great and theres only about 20 lbs of sand in there. I just set up a 40br in december and I put a sand star in there and my sand bed is always white.

rxonco · 03/21/2010, 08:28 PM

You might get one to survive for a limited amount of time. Point being, your sand bed won't.

Mordoff · 03/21/2010, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxonco

You might get one to survive for a limited amount of time. Point being, your sand bed won't.

Well Ive got a fuge with lots of live sand and rock in it so I figure that will take over for my filtration.

greenbean36191 · 03/22/2010, 07:30 AM

Quote:

I dont get why everyone thinks they wont survive in smaller tanks. No joke, Ive had one in my 24gal nano cube for over a year and its doing great and theres only about 20 lbs of sand in there.

Because that's about like throwing an alligator in your backyard koi pond and then bragging about it still being alive after a year. It doesn't take into account the production of the system vs. the appetite of the animal and it doesn't take the animal's metabolic physiology into account.

Sand sifting stars are predators of sandbed infauna and they need a lot of it. A 24g tank just doesn't produce a lot. Once the star eats what's there, it can still survive another year or so by digesting its own internal organs. You can't even begin to gauge success with these animals until about the 2 yr mark since it can take over 18 months for them to deplete the food in the sand and then slowly starve.

Quote:

In a large tank with hundreds of pounds of sand in the bed, there is plenty of waste and organics to go around for snails as well as sand-sifting gobies and star fish.

Sand sifting stars are predators of live animals with many species being highly specialized to feed on just a few types of animals. Whether there is plenty of waste and organics in the sand is largely irrelevant for them since only a few species are known to eat detritus and only do so when live prey is scarce. It's only a food of last resort for a few species, not a staple.

The animals that they consume from the sand are the animals that allow a DSB to function, which is one reason Dr. Ron advises that they aren't suitable in any situation. Their use is counter productive for keeping the sand clean. The bury the detritus, but they kill the animals that would otherwise have processed it. They simply aren't compatible with a functional DSB, regardless of the tank size.

jcolletteiii · 03/22/2010, 09:51 AM

I think they're great for keeping the sand clean(ish) and mixed for shallow sand beds - i.e.- where the small amount of sand is there for aesthetics and not as a means of filtration.

03/21/2010, 06:43 PM	#1
canes52 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 92	are sand sifting stars bad? I heard that sand sifting stars can be bad for ur sand in a reef tank. Is that true?

03/21/2010, 07:24 PM	#3
Lightsluvr Tangaroa to 500 gallons Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,855	Depends on how much sandbed you have... In a small tank, I agree with rxonco. In a large tank with hundreds of pounds of sand in the bed, there is plenty of waste and organics to go around for snails as well as sand-sifting gobies and star fish. JME. LL __________________ Click on my username and select "Lightsluvr's Home Page" for a recap of our build thread - AGE Hybrid Tank in a 500G system with dedicated fish room. (Takes a few minutes for photos to load) Leave a note if you stop by... Current Tank Info: 350G AGE Hybrid reef tank. 500G+ total water volume. Three sumps for filtration. Barracuda Gold return and Hammerhead Gold closed loop pumps. DIY T5 light system on rails. MP40W x3 to supplement closed loop. 130G Water management system.

03/21/2010, 07:41 PM	#4
Deprecated Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: OH Posts: 64	Years ago before I knew better I had a sand sifting star. It wiped out everything living in my sand bed and eventually starved to death I assume as it just disappeared. This was 65 gallon tank with roughly 80lbs of sand. __________________ Jason 53 61 6e 73 20 52 65 70 72 6f 63 68 65 2c 20 50 75 6b 69 6e 20 44 6f 67 73

03/22/2010, 09:51 AM	#11
jcolletteiii Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: 58703 Posts: 1,265	I think they're great for keeping the sand clean(ish) and mixed for shallow sand beds - i.e.- where the small amount of sand is there for aesthetics and not as a means of filtration. __________________ T5-powered (ex-LED club member) SPS-dominant 50g. Cadlights CUBE. Current Tank Info: 16g biocube

03/21/2010, 06:51 PM	#2
rxonco Reef Pharmacist Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 217	If you're wanting to utilize your sand bed as a filtration method, then yes. Sand sifting stars will decimate your sand bed's population of critters which are beneficial to its makeup. They look cool, but I'd stay away from them.

03/21/2010, 07:48 PM	#5
Jachael Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Peoria, IL Posts: 62	+1 on the depends on tank. If it's a large tank 125g, 200-300g, (pretty large) with a DSB, then ONE won't have a huge impact. I have heard of success in smaller tanks 55-100, but I wouldn't risk it. Also, maybe this doesn't need said, but just in case... I also wouldn't try one without a DSB due to the sifting star's feeding method.

03/21/2010, 08:03 PM	#6
rxonco Reef Pharmacist Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 217	This comes from Dr. Ron Shimek's site: "...UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ADD "SAND-SIFTING" ANIMALS SUCH AS BURROWING SEA STARS..." http://www.ronshimek.com/deep_sand_beds.html

03/21/2010, 08:24 PM	#7
Mordoff Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 401	I dont get why everyone thinks they wont survive in smaller tanks. No joke, Ive had one in my 24gal nano cube for over a year and its doing great and theres only about 20 lbs of sand in there. I just set up a 40br in december and I put a sand star in there and my sand bed is always white.

03/21/2010, 08:28 PM	#8
rxonco Reef Pharmacist Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 217	You might get one to survive for a limited amount of time. Point being, your sand bed won't.