Iphantom Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 I saw a Sand Sifting Sea Star on the liveaquria website and I really wanted to keep one however I havent been able to find any info on them at all so I was wondering has anyone kept these? does anyone know if I can keep one? a link to info on them? -thanks -Matt Link to comment
Xavier Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 they can get pretty big for a nano, but they bury themselves in the sand and move about eating detrius and stuff.. they keep the sandbed moving... I don't know if they'd be good in a nano since there's little open sand for them to move around in.. I personally haven't kept one, so I could be wrong.. *shrug* Link to comment
Satchmo Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 They eat other life in the sand bed. I steer clear of them for that alone. Link to comment
Mnesarchus Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 I have one in my 10g, so far I enjoy him. He keeps the sand bed pretty clean and doesn't bug anything. They can be quite small or quite large I think, mine is about 1" across and gray/white. When I first added him to the tank, one of his legs/arms began to fall off (from stress I assume). I asked around with people who knew what to do and I was instructed to cut the leg off with a surgical razorblade. Did it, and it was a breeze. The star recovered in less than a day and was back roaming around the sand. His leg has allready begun to grow back. He never goes on the rock, occasionally he ventures onto the glass, but 95% of the time he is on the sandbed in the front of the tank. I have noticed a considerable depletion of the nasty stuff that grew on my substrate before the star. Well worth the $11 I paid for him. You dont have to feed them, they are pretty to look at, and it's neat when they bury themselves completley in the sand ("where he go!?"). HTH, Mnes Link to comment
Satchmo Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 Mnes- I see Michael Moore in your sig. If you haven't, read "Stupid White Men." He's a little ultra-liberal for me, but it's a good read, especially if you don't like our Yosemite Sam president. Link to comment
chvynva916 Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 I agree with Satchmo. Those stars are only sifting sand to eat infauna that are integral to your sandbed. If you want a good sand sifter, go with a tiger tail cuke maybe? Link to comment
Satchmo Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 I suppose in nano with a shallow sand bed, it wouldn't be so critical. If you don't mind them chowing through the diversity in the sand then go for it (I still wouldn't). If you're running a DSB, all that microfauna suddenly becomes far more important, and sand sifters would be a bad idea. Link to comment
Xavier Posted March 22, 2003 Share Posted March 22, 2003 I've got a TigerTail Cuke in my 25... I sent one to ReefMatrix as well.. and both he and I agree they have done a really good job... I find mine on sand, rock and even the glass... Link to comment
KCReefNC Posted March 24, 2003 Share Posted March 24, 2003 I have one in my 7G. He seems happy and takes care of the stuff that my Fiji Blue Devil Damsel doesn't eat. The way my rock is arranged the HOB pulls stuff through one particular cave and he pretty much stays right there getting all the leftovers but occasionally goes sailing across the glass to get to another corner of the tank. That's really cool because he really moves faster than you would think they could! When he'll probably outgrow the tank since he's already about 3" across but for now I enjoy him. Link to comment
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