sand sifting stars

skeeter01 · 03/22/2008, 08:17 PM

is it true that sand sifting stars slowly starve? Can't you feed them anything?

Aquarist007 · 03/22/2008, 08:22 PM

In the wild, it eats Brittle Starfish, Worms, Snails, Sea Cucumbers and smaller organisms.
In the reef tank it moves across the sediment surface, devouring everything edible, then submerges into the substrate, eating everything it comes across.
Once it runs out of food, it will starve to death, unless its diet is supplemented but look what it eats

plus all the useful life in your sand
behttp://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/rs/feature/index.phpd

is consumed--not good

Roy G. Biv · 03/22/2008, 08:23 PM

Most of the time they will starve. I have known people to put little goodies in the sand.. ex. Oyster eggs. For the most part this is a real PITA!

skeeter01 · 03/22/2008, 08:29 PM

soo i won't get one of those then...what would be a good starfish to get? keeping in mind that i'm new at this...

willjeff · 03/22/2008, 08:37 PM

Brittlestars or serpent starfish are good.

Roy G. Biv · 03/22/2008, 08:47 PM

In the past, all of the starfish that I ever tried died at some point. You know they are starving when their legs start to deteriorate.

jamest0o0 · 03/22/2008, 09:24 PM

sandsifting stars= bad for your tank

horwitzs · 03/22/2008, 09:29 PM

Serpent stars are a good part of a cleanup crew, and they can move quickly which is interesting. But they usually hide under rocks and you just see their arms.
If you are looking for a more traditional starfish, there isn't much hope. LFS have them, but they often starve in our tanks unless you have a very large mature tank to support it's dietary needs.
I was interested in getting one recently but decided against it until my tank is older, or maybe never.

Aquarist007 · 03/22/2008, 09:34 PM

brittle stars are very harmless and hardy
If you think they are getting hungry then feed them a little piece of shrimp

skeeter01 · 03/22/2008, 09:37 PM

I think i'm going to get a carribean serpant star...the green or maroon stars caught my eye

tbar · 03/22/2008, 10:41 PM

I have had one for over a year. He is going to the fuge real soon as I am in the process of going bare bottom. Hopefully there will be enough in there to support him. It has been up for about 8 months with the sand bed from my last tank.

Denver aquarist · 03/22/2008, 11:05 PM

I have a Chocolate Chip that just keeps getting bigger and bigger. They are hardy.... I also have two serpent stars that were hitchhikers both doing well.

jamest0o0 · 03/22/2008, 11:35 PM

choc chip stars eat corals and other inverts and some green serpent stars are predatory I believe

horwitzs · 03/22/2008, 11:39 PM

I think it's the green bristle star that will pick off small fish, i.e. gobies, etc.

03/22/2008, 08:17 PM	#1
skeeter01 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 103	sand sifting stars is it true that sand sifting stars slowly starve? Can't you feed them anything?

03/22/2008, 08:22 PM	#2
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	In the wild, it eats Brittle Starfish, Worms, Snails, Sea Cucumbers and smaller organisms. In the reef tank it moves across the sediment surface, devouring everything edible, then submerges into the substrate, eating everything it comes across. Once it runs out of food, it will starve to death, unless its diet is supplemented but look what it eats plus all the useful life in your sand behttp://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-06/rs/feature/index.phpd is consumed--not good __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

03/22/2008, 08:37 PM	#5
willjeff Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Portland, ME Posts: 444	Brittlestars or serpent starfish are good. __________________ PBRMEASAPDEREH Current Tank Info: 38G with 15G sump

03/22/2008, 09:24 PM	#7
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	sandsifting stars= bad for your tank __________________ Planning on new tank, been about 5-6 years since I've been in the hobby

03/22/2008, 09:29 PM	#8
horwitzs Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Kitsap Penninsula Posts: 470	Serpent stars are a good part of a cleanup crew, and they can move quickly which is interesting. But they usually hide under rocks and you just see their arms. If you are looking for a more traditional starfish, there isn't much hope. LFS have them, but they often starve in our tanks unless you have a very large mature tank to support it's dietary needs. I was interested in getting one recently but decided against it until my tank is older, or maybe never. __________________ -Seth Current Tank Info: 120g fresh, 150g salt.

03/22/2008, 08:23 PM	#3
Roy G. Biv Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,646	Most of the time they will starve. I have known people to put little goodies in the sand.. ex. Oyster eggs. For the most part this is a real PITA!

03/22/2008, 08:29 PM	#4
skeeter01 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 103	soo i won't get one of those then...what would be a good starfish to get? keeping in mind that i'm new at this...

03/22/2008, 08:47 PM	#6
Roy G. Biv Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 3,646	In the past, all of the starfish that I ever tried died at some point. You know they are starving when their legs start to deteriorate.

03/22/2008, 09:34 PM	#9
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	brittle stars are very harmless and hardy If you think they are getting hungry then feed them a little piece of shrimp __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

03/22/2008, 09:37 PM	#10
skeeter01 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 103	I think i'm going to get a carribean serpant star...the green or maroon stars caught my eye

03/22/2008, 10:41 PM	#11
tbar Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: SE Virginia Posts: 452	I have had one for over a year. He is going to the fuge real soon as I am in the process of going bare bottom. Hopefully there will be enough in there to support him. It has been up for about 8 months with the sand bed from my last tank. __________________ I have done a 5 gal water change (about 17%) every week since week one. Hopefully having this posted here will motivate me enough to keep doing so. Current Tank Info: 33L, Two 36" 24 watt Marineland LED's, Tunze 9002 Skimmer, 2 Koralia 1's, pico hob filter for carbon.

03/22/2008, 11:05 PM	#12
Denver aquarist Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Denver Posts: 131	I have a Chocolate Chip that just keeps getting bigger and bigger. They are hardy.... I also have two serpent stars that were hitchhikers both doing well.

03/22/2008, 11:35 PM	#13
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	choc chip stars eat corals and other inverts and some green serpent stars are predatory I believe __________________ Planning on new tank, been about 5-6 years since I've been in the hobby

03/22/2008, 11:39 PM	#14
horwitzs Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Kitsap Penninsula Posts: 470	I think it's the green bristle star that will pick off small fish, i.e. gobies, etc. __________________ -Seth Current Tank Info: 120g fresh, 150g salt.