Best sand for sand sifting fish?

AdamNC

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Fiji Pink is a good grain size.

 

Uncle99

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Keep in mind that starfish (with the exception of brittle stars) will not last more than a year in captivity.
 

YankeeTankee

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Keep in mind that starfish (with the exception of brittle stars) will not last more than a year in captivity.
I was considering one, I have heard they're tough to keep, where have you read this or was it just your experience?

I know they can starve even in large tanks, do you think thats the typical cause of death? If it is starvation I wonder how large a tank can sustain one indefinitely.
 
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lapin

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Its not really tank size thats the issue. Its the food in the sand/mud. While we think we have stuff in and on the sand, its nowhere as diverse nor does it have the constant influx of new things to eat. In the wild they can scavage a 3 foot square area and 2 hours later it has as much stuff on and in it as before.
 

Uncle99

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Lapin advice above is well stated, and IMO/IME, 100% correct.
In addition, if you have LPS like Scolly or Brain on the sand, sometimes the star can inadvertently put an arm on these and cause some minor damage.

Now, there are some great sand sifting fish like Diamond Back Gobies who are experts in filtering food from the bed, however, they can spit sand over your bottom dwellers, and MUST have at least an inch if not more of sand and be mature enough to sustain this guy, or, usually dwindle in future months as they use up the available food.

As for sand, the finest you can get that will not be blown about. This provides the most surface area for the micros attach to.
 
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sfin52

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Bahama oolite very fine sand
 

Saltyanimals

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Looking for updates here. I put in a sand sifting starfish into special reef grade and it seems to only partially submerge. I noticed that the sand will get denser as you go deeper considering the grain size. Could this be the reason the starfish isn't able to get to the bottom of a 2 inch special grade bottom?
 

sfin52

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Looking for updates here. I put in a sand sifting starfish into special reef grade and it seems to only partially submerge. I noticed that the sand will get denser as you go deeper considering the grain size. Could this be the reason the starfish isn't able to get to the bottom of a 2 inch special grade bottom?
If you want bahama oolite its the finest you can find. Next is the Fiji pink both great for sand dwelling critters. I use bahama oolite in my 90 and a mixture of oolite and Fiji pink for the 120
 

Saltyanimals

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Cool I had fiji In The past. I’m sps dominate now so need the bigger grains. And now trying to solve white sand issues in a 180 lol.
 

sfin52

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Looking for updates here. I put in a sand sifting starfish into special reef grade and it seems to only partially submerge. I noticed that the sand will get denser as you go deeper considering the grain size. Could this be the reason the starfish isn't able to get to the bottom of a 2 inch special grade bottom?
I don't think so. They dig and can you imagine what's it like in the ocean with all that pressure. If you want take a turkey baster push under sand and blow water under it. It loosens the sand
 
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