Can i get a sand sifting star fish?

[wasabi bean]

So i would like a starfish not only because they are cool but also my sand bed is always dirty. I run quite a high nutrient system with 3 feedings a day and high lights so my sand is always a but green. It is a 70 gallon with a 2x3 foot base, with 2 inches of sand. Will a star be fine or will it deplete all my detritus quickly and die. Which would be bad :(

 

[Ziggy17]

So i would like a starfish not only because they are cool but also my sand bed is always dirty. I run quite a high nutrient system with 3 feedings a day and high lights so my sand is always a but green. It is a 70 gallon with a 2x3 foot base, with 2 inches of sand. Will a star be fine or will it deplete all my detritus quickly and die. Which would be bad :(

Mine starved in my tank with similar dimensions and sand bed. It took 6 months but eventually it died. I didn’t do the research I should have prior to buying it.

 

[BoaConservationist]

just confirm you dont have any dinos or copper in the water and you should be fine, you have to feed them at least weekly, they are more of an omnivore than a detritivore - I have fed mine on hikari carnivore sinking pellets for like 5 years with zero issues (you need to place them in the sand around them like a fingernail deep), in tanks with all sorts of variety, i like to pair with ceriths and dottyback of egyptian origin, the dottyback will help the starfish -- ORA SUNRISE -- (i have videos of this) --
You also will need at least a half a bottle a week of tigger pods (i edited this in because my system just runs these innately and forgot most dont know)

To further educate, the sunrise and what most stores are selling are all red sea/ egyptian origin sand sifters

The sunrise dottybacks will move sand around also, quite literally forklift pebbles and move them. they will also feed mushroom corals similarly to how clownfish feed anemone. I tend to put mushrooms in my dottyback "proposed den" areas. -- attached a video of the dottyback airlifting pebbles - my fish are all very aware of me and the camera and are shy of the camera, so once they notice they are being filmed they usually stop sadly :(

region specific pod would be the Tisbe or Apoc, but with my other foods going in I prefer the nutrient profile and viability of the tiggers. -- That being said, if you ever notice under/overinflated limbs, swap to tisbe for a few months.

Even further, if you give them a patch of macroalgae seed pods in that, they will use it as their hunting grounds and its a fascinating sight. also makes carnivore pellet feeding easy.

 

[Mrcote1]

So i would like a starfish not only because they are cool but also my sand bed is always dirty. I run quite a high nutrient system with 3 feedings a day and high lights so my sand is always a but green. It is a 70 gallon with a 2x3 foot base, with 2 inches of sand. Will a star be fine or will it deplete all my detritus quickly and die. Which would be bad :(

The best purchase I ever made for my sandbed was a diamond goby. It is a work horse at keeping the sandbed clean. Ive tried every other type of sand sifter and nothing else even comes close to the diamond goby.

 

[albano]

IMO, sand sifting starfish will not survive long term…tank life is a death sentence!

 

[Sam7]

NO....Get a gravel vaccum starfish....cleans gravel great
Amazon product