Sand Sifting Star in a 20gal Aquarium?

Hello 3Reef Friends,

I have a 20 gal Aquarium that I have had up since Dec 2009. The aquarium is doing fine. Presently I have one Ocillaris Clown and one Royal Garama. One of my clowns took a lip of faith and my wife jumped my butt for leaving the glass top open to keep the tank a bit cooler. I had a lawnmower goby which was doing nothing but getting aggressive and bothering the other fish so I gave him back to my LFS. My wife and kids where sick of him anyway so the trade off was not a problem. I also have a chocolate chip star for a total of three living members in the tank. I am going to get another Ocillaris Clown to make my present clown a bit more happy. I want to get a sand sifting star to help with the cleaning of the tank. Do any of you think that the new star would have a problem with the Chocolate Chip Star? Should they get along or should I not put two starfish in one tank. I also want to get a Carpet anemone for my clowns. From what I understand the carpets can get pretty large. Would this anemone not be the right one to get for a 20 gallon tank? If so, then can you recommend an anemone that the clowns will enjoy. I am using a T5 4 tube wavepoint light on this tank. Will this unit produce enough light for the anemone? I also want to introduce Pulsating Zynia to my tank, I have tried in the past with no success. What do I need to do to my tank as far as trace elements are concerned to help the Zynia adjust and thrive? As for sand sifting fish would I be better off with a sand sifting goby instead of the sand sifting star. I am sure that the fish will live longer than the Star, but if the sand sifting star lives as long as my chocolate chip star then I would prefer the star over a goby. Let me know what you all think. I have had the Chocolate Chip Star for a year and a month now. I great appreciate all the replies.

Thanks again
Gus Gonzalez

 

Hi Gus,

A Carpet might do very well in your tank with that lighting, but you really end up limiting your self on adding any other corals or fish. The carpet will get large, sting nearby corals and may eat other fish. Any other fish besides the clowns will not have enough room to navigate and eventually end up rubbing against the anemone.

If you have no intentions of adding more fish and prefer the anemone fish interactions I think it would make an interesting tank. I once did something very similar with a 20 gallon.

For sand sifting I would first consider Narcissus Snails, a smaller Tiger Tail Cucumber.

Sand sifting starfish need a fairly large tank to provide enough real estate long term. They seem to slowly starve once they consume the flora and funa of smaller tanks.

 

If you want a reef tank, the choco star must be taken out, they are not reef safe, also sand sifter stars shouldnt be in any aquarium imo. I would also suggest a BTA for your clowns. I would not dose anything you cant dose for, but in that small of a tank, water changes should take care of trace elements.

 

Good advice so far.If you want something to clean the substrate stick with Nasarius snails or a fighting Conch.Sand sifters in general usually do not fair well especially in a small tank.

 

+1 to all the above.

IMOPE, not only does the sand-sifting star actively prey on the critters that makes the sand "live", but also through their sifting practices, bury detritus below the surface which causes serious nutrient problems. Plowing manure under is great for corn fields, not so good for aquariums.

 

+1 on everything said

 

Good advise here,if you would really like a star in your reef one of the fromia species would be a good possibility,just be careful when acclimating,use the drip method.