Osmotic shock in sand sifting star fish.

[1066reef]

Hello, I am new to R2R. I just bought a sand sifting starfish and had an issue when acclimated. My diy drip kit flowed too fast and raised the salinity faster than I wanted. Lfs water was about 1.021 and my tank was about 1.024-025. The water went from .021 to .024 in about 20-30 minutes. Is this a drastic enough change to cause osmotic shock in the starfish? Also the starfish released spawn which I read is a common reaction to salinity or temperature change.

 

[Rocks reef]

How is the starfish doing today? That's not a real big salinity shift, and it wasn't an immediate shift. The starfish should be fine.

 

[1066reef]

How is the starfish doing today? That's not a real big salinity shift, and it wasn't an immediate shift. The starfish should be fine.

Thank you for your reply! He is moving a little bit this morning. Seems slower and a bit stressed out. Color seems a little dull compared to when I first saw him in the lfs.

 

[Stomatopods17]

I get starfish in the tank in less than 5 minutes after ~30min temp acclimating. Haven't lost one to an acclimation yet.

Contrary to popular belief echinoderms are very tolerant of rapid salinity changes as they're accustomed to tide pools and being isolated in them, water evaporating, and then suddenly filled up again. You'd just not want to drop it in immediately and instantly change it since that risk shocking the animal.

Most echinoderm deaths are starvation or parasite related, they don't have much to eat at the LFS and new tanks don't fill them up either.

 

[1066reef]

I get starfish in the tank in less than 5 minutes after ~30min temp acclimating. Haven't lost one to an acclimation yet.

Contrary to popular belief echinoderms are very tolerant of rapid salinity changes as they're accustomed to tide pools and being isolated in them, water evaporating, and then suddenly filled up again. You'd just not want to drop it in immediately and instantly change it since that risk shocking the animal.

Most echinoderm deaths are starvation or parasite related, they don't have much to eat at the LFS and new tanks don't fill them up either.

Thank you for your reply! That makes sense and puts me at ease a bit. Thank you! I will be feeding mine pieces of shrimp to supplement. How do you feed yours?

 

[Stomatopods17]

So good news is acclimation ain't that bad, but now here's the bad news about sandshifter stars, they don't really eat what you give them but consume microfilm in the sandbed itself until they run out then starve.

Hence one in a store that uses a holding tank thats been running for years eventually lacking sustenance might cause it to be already leaning towards starving until put in a tank where it can perhaps find something and then inevitability go through the same thing again.

Starfish in general fit into two categories; eat and kill everything, or be incredibly specific and difficult long term even in some of the most established tanks to keep, with very few exceptions like linckia which is sometimes more lenient on options but still a PITA. Sandshifters fall into the later because they're collected and sold as throwaway clean-up-crew. Serpents/brittles are easier since they can be fed just about anything meaty and moreso a matter of how big they can get, serpents are safe some brittles might eat fish.

 

[1066reef]

So good news is acclimation ain't that bad, but now here's the bad news about sandshifter stars, they don't really eat what you give them but consume microfilm in the sandbed itself until they run out then starve.

Hence one in a store that uses a holding tank thats been running for years eventually lacking sustenance might cause it to be already leaning towards starving until put in a tank where it can perhaps find something and then inevitability go through the same thing again.

Ah ok. Well I might have to pass him on to the next person who has a dirty sand bed when he is done with mine. Thank you for your insight. I should have been asking these questions before I got the starfish.