sand sifting star

[FishyFarr]

sand sifting star
I was wondering if anyone had a sand sifting star that worked out well.
I have many snails and hermits and an emerald crab I like a lot so if all starfish are crab eaters then I will have to find something else to sift the sand.

I know nesarrius snails are sand sifter carnivores (detrivores) but anything else that would work good.
I will be moving up to a 120 gallon soon.
I have so many stomatellas its like an infestation so I would not mind a snail eater just really like my crabs,

any suggestions.

_______

 

[_Alex_]

I love my sand sifting star he does a great job along with my dove snails and dragon goby. I had 2 stars but one was missing a leg when i got him, had him about 2 months leg started to grow back. Then woke up one morning to all my electric blue hermits munching away on him.

But I try to put plenty of pellets in now to help keep the crabs hunger down , but most people will tel you the crabs are opportunity eaters so gottakeep an eye on them

 

[heliguy71]

i have two in my 120 gallon and they do a great job keeping my sand bed clean

 

[sprinklerdudes]

I have one in a 55+ shallow reef system with a semi shallow sand bed

 

[Tenacious716]

IMO they aren't a good CUC choice because they usually strip your sandbed of nutrients and die.

I highly recommend a sand-sifting conch, they work VERY well and have a higher survival rate. JMO, hope this helps.

 

[Willy]

I agree with Tenacious, they will strip your sandbed. I also have conch's.

 

[Paul_N]

IMO they aren't a good CUC choice because they usually strip your sandbed of nutrients and die.

I highly recommend a sand-sifting conch, they work VERY well and have a higher survival rate. JMO, hope this helps.

+1 your live sand bed will not be so live anymore. There are better choices for sand stirrers. I know some have kept them but the majority do not last long.

 

[Mariner]

The sand sifting stars are not snail eaters at all. They consume micro fauna from your sand bed. IME, they do better in tanks with shallow sand beds, but will eventually starve. I kept one for 2+ years in a 75g. A larger tank with more sand bed surface area might sustain one longer.
HTH,
Mariner

 

[AZDesertRat]

My 330 lb 5" DSB went from thriving to a desert in a few months when i added one against everyones advice. My advice is now, Don't Do It.

 

[Wy Renegade]

As stated, the sand-sifting star is a microfauna consumer who will strip the limited sandbed of your reef of any living organisms and eventually starve. You will also lose any benefits of the sandbed in the process. I would avoid putting one in.

 

[FishyFarr]

so conchs are a better choice then
thanks for the advice

 

[H@rry]

I had sand sifting stars several times over the years and they never lived very long. I think they starved to death but the grandkids loved to watch them crawl over the sand, stop, and go straight down out of sight. As has been mentioned fighting conchs are a very good alternative. They do an excellent job of keeping the surface of the sand stirred up and clean, but watch out if you have any red leg hermits. I put some in all the tanks and in the tanks with red legs they ate them.

 

[FishyFarr]

conchs ate the red legs or teh red legs ate the conches LOL

 

[H@rry]

conchs ate the red legs or teh red legs ate the conches LOL

Sorry, red legs ate the conches.

 

[sprinklerdudes]

not sure if this helps, I supplement shrimp pellets (advised by lfs) about 2-3 times a week in one corner of the tank, sand sifter seems to like it, has been in there since October of last year. not sure how long they are supposed to live, but I like him in my tank, he keeps the sand stirred just enough, but dosn't knock things over like the big clumsy snail I used to have.

 

[FishyFarr]

wife and kids

wife and kids love the idea of a star fish of any type

will they see a sand sifting star much
and I should make sure and feed it the pellets I understand and will do.
do you think it will bother my brain coral

 

[JNY]

I have had one for at least a year and don't see it very often; unless, I'm in front of the tank when it decides to move.

It has never bothered any of my corals (chalices or favias on the sandbed)... it won't even crawl over them, but rather around them. Although, after reading here about their negative impact on the SB, I'm actually considering selling mine to a LFS.

wife and kids love the idea of a star fish of any type

will they see a sand sifting star much
and I should make sure and feed it the pellets I understand and will do.
do you think it will bother my brain coral