Is a sand sifting star worth it?

Cantusaurus

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
528
Reaction score
380
Location
Los Angeles
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm considering getting a sand sifting star, because of their ability to CLEAN the sand. I need something to actually clean, and not stir like the nassarius snails do. I have a good amount of Nassarius snails, and I hate that the sand has detritus and stuff in it, and I don't want anything building up. The sand is about an inch. I have a 32.5 gallon long tank. Tank is 1.5 years old.
I got a conch (it had no eyes) and it only lasted about a week. I acclimated it VERY well too, and it seemed to burrow in the sand, but did not look/act 100% which was weird.

Anyways. I have heard these guys clean the sand TOO well. But is there a big drawback to that? I get a lot of microfauna will be eaten, but isn't that not that bad if it means that the starfish will eat the good and bad, and will keep it nice and clean?? I'm willing to feed the starfish occasionally to make sure it doesn't starve, but am I overlooking a major element to them cleaning the sand 'too' well?

Or should I just get another conch and just make sure it is in better shape before I buy it.
 

Brymac1

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
334
Reaction score
930
Location
Foristell, MO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’ve always kept them in my systems since I don’t care too much about the organisms living in my sand (I still see spaghetti worms and feather dusters pop up however). I’ve also never had a problem with them starving. I would say keep one per 2’x2’ area. So I wouldn’t keep more than one in your tank.
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It might starve. Not sure what you can reliably feed these guys. I have found Diamond gobies take prepared foods readily and turn the sand over.

Not having eyes on a conch isn’t normal. Sounds like a damaged animal.

All you really have to do in a 32g tank is turkey baste the sand now and again and let the filters catch the particles. Small tanks are pretty easy to keep clean.
 
OP
OP
Cantusaurus

Cantusaurus

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
528
Reaction score
380
Location
Los Angeles
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’ve always kept them in my systems since I don’t care too much about the organisms living in my sand (I still see spaghetti worms and feather dusters pop up however). I’ve also never had a problem with them starving. I would say keep one per 2’x2’ area. So I wouldn’t keep more than one in your tank.
Hmm ok. Would you think it would be fine to add at this point since the tank has been running for a while.
And yeah I have so many beneficial organisms all over my tank. Amphipods, copepods, pineapple sponges, little worms, etc. and they aren't just in the sand. I find it hard to believe he will reach every single crevice where my rocks make caves in the sand.
Do you ever feed your stars, and if so I assume pellets will be fine for them? I have a variety of pellet types, and I have frozen ROE which sinks well and I think the star will love. I'm fine with feeding the star as long as he's gonna clean detritus, and whatever random crap is in the sand.
 

Brymac1

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
334
Reaction score
930
Location
Foristell, MO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hmm ok. Would you think it would be fine to add at this point since the tank has been running for a while.
And yeah I have so many beneficial organisms all over my tank. Amphipods, copepods, pineapple sponges, little worms, etc. and they aren't just in the sand. I find it hard to believe he will reach every single crevice where my rocks make caves in the sand.
Do you ever feed your stars, and if so I assume pellets will be fine for them? I have a variety of pellet types, and I have frozen ROE which sinks well and I think the star will love. I'm fine with feeding the star as long as he's gonna clean detritus, and whatever random crap is in the sand.
Yes, I think it would be fine to add one to your tank. And I have never actually tried feeding them and have never had one die on me, so I think the whole starving thing is overblown.
 

CanuckReefer

Simple...Salt, Water, LR, Lighting and Flow.
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
2,451
Reaction score
3,855
Location
Port Perry Ontario
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It might starve. Not sure what you can reliably feed these guys. I have found Diamond gobies take prepared foods readily and turn the sand over.

Not having eyes on a conch isn’t normal. Sounds like a damaged animal.

All you really have to do in a 32g tank is turkey baste the sand now and again and let the filters catch the particles. Small tanks are pretty easy to keep clean.
Indeed something off about the no eyes thing...
I'm considering getting a sand sifting star, because of their ability to CLEAN the sand. I need something to actually clean, and not stir like the nassarius snails do. I have a good amount of Nassarius snails, and I hate that the sand has detritus and stuff in it, and I don't want anything building up. The sand is about an inch. I have a 32.5 gallon long tank. Tank is 1.5 years old.
I got a conch (it had no eyes) and it only lasted about a week. I acclimated it VERY well too, and it seemed to burrow in the sand, but did not look/act 100% which was weird.

Anyways. I have heard these guys clean the sand TOO well. But is there a big drawback to that? I get a lot of microfauna will be eaten, but isn't that not that bad if it means that the starfish will eat the good and bad, and will keep it nice and clean?? I'm willing to feed the starfish occasionally to make sure it doesn't starve, but am I overlooking a major element to them cleaning the sand 'too' well?

Or should I just get another conch and just make sure it is in better shape before I buy it.
I have Strawberry Conch, sand sifting Star, and Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber in a 90 that stir my bed up rather well. In the 32.5 year and a half old I'd honestly try another Conch. I worry about the Star not getting enough and feeding it is difficult. Not large enough IMO for a Sea Cuc , depending on total bioload.
 
OP
OP
Cantusaurus

Cantusaurus

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
528
Reaction score
380
Location
Los Angeles
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Indeed something off about the no eyes thing...

I have Strawberry Conch, sand sifting Star, and Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber in a 90 that stir my bed up rather well. In the 32.5 year and a half old I'd honestly try another Conch. I worry about the Star not getting enough and feeding it is difficult. Not large enough IMO for a Sea Cuc , depending on total bioload.
Yeah, very strange. I thought it was gonna die then it started burrowing and looking fine, now it I think it died. But today it rotated 90 degrees in the morning (hasn't moved since) but I am not sure if the urchin went past and rotated it.
So I'm just gonna leave him for now, and hopefully he is just growing or even growing his eye(s) back. I heard they can regrow an eye if they lost one. But he lost 2 I think so not sure how long it'll take if he is still alive.

But if he does make it I'll get another conch (he is a fighting). I like the Strawberry ones but no one has them right now in stock :(

And yeah I do not wanna risk a cucumber (especially if it somehow dies and pollutes my small tank).
I have powerheads that are not protected the best, and I'm scared it'll get cut up.
Plus yeah it can starve and die
 
OP
OP
Cantusaurus

Cantusaurus

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
528
Reaction score
380
Location
Los Angeles
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I may try and baste the sand occasionally/more often especially if I do not get a starfish.
I may get another conch.
But at my LFS I saw a bunch of Babylon snails (the BIG snails that act like nassarius snails)
I may get them since they will REALLY stir the sand, but I do not think they will clean it much like the nassarius snails.

Does anyone have experience with Babylons?
Spiral babylonia snail (Babylonia spirata)
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I may try and baste the sand occasionally/more often especially if I do not get a starfish.
I may get another conch.
But at my LFS I saw a bunch of Babylon snails (the BIG snails that act like nassarius snails)
I may get them since they will REALLY stir the sand, but I do not think they will clean it much like the nassarius snails.

Does anyone have experience with Babylons?
Spiral babylonia snail (Babylonia spirata)

feeds on microfauna and such. The stuff that makes the sand live and what not
 
OP
OP
Cantusaurus

Cantusaurus

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
528
Reaction score
380
Location
Los Angeles
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
feeds on microfauna and such. The stuff that makes the sand live and what not
Babylon's will eat microfauna? I did research and it only says they eat leftover food, but I am hoping they actually will eat stuff in the sand.
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Babylon's will eat microfauna? I did research and it only says they eat leftover food, but I am hoping they actually will eat stuff in the sand.

Per reefcleaners they do.


  • Babylonian Snails - This cream and brown spotted snail makes an attractive addition to the tank, but may feed on microfauna and sessile inverts. They are often mislabeled and sold as "Tiger Nassarius", or "Speckled Nassarius" snails, but they are not related to Nassarius spp.

Sounds to me like they will eat the good stuff in the sand. Like pods and worms.
 

SMSREEF

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 27, 2016
Messages
2,048
Reaction score
4,302
Location
Miami
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I may try and baste the sand occasionally/more often especially if I do not get a starfish.
I may get another conch.
But at my LFS I saw a bunch of Babylon snails (the BIG snails that act like nassarius snails)
I may get them since they will REALLY stir the sand, but I do not think they will clean it much like the nassarius snails.

Does anyone have experience with Babylons?
Spiral babylonia snail (Babylonia spirata)
Mine eats pellets, hikari algae wafers, dead snails, any food that falls to the bottom. I feed it a piece of shrimp or a frozen clam once in a while.
 
OP
OP
Cantusaurus

Cantusaurus

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
528
Reaction score
380
Location
Los Angeles
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Per reefcleaners they do.


  • Babylonian Snails - This cream and brown spotted snail makes an attractive addition to the tank, but may feed on microfauna and sessile inverts. They are often mislabeled and sold as "Tiger Nassarius", or "Speckled Nassarius" snails, but they are not related to Nassarius spp.

Sounds to me like they will eat the good stuff in the sand. Like pods and worms.
Hmm ok. I have a lot of microfauna so I think I will be willing to overlook it eating a little bit of it due to its ability to turn over the sand well due to its size and the possibly it will clean detritus? (Since they are different than nassarius snails).
But maybe I will just get another conch to be safe, and one conch is probably cheaper than 3-5 babylons
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I doubt it eats debris. Personally never had luck with anything doing a satisfactory job on the sand except sandsifting gobies or me with a turkey baster.
 
Back
Top