Sand Sifting Star

Just looking for some feedback with those experienced with these inverts. What's your pros and cons? I have experience with the brittle and serpent starfish, but I'm a little concerned about good bacterias in the sand being removed from these sifters. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

 

i wouldnt get one, they disrupt the sandbed releasing toxins that are kept beneath, causing nitrite nitrate and ammonia spikes.

 

Sand sifting starts are pretty great for sifting sand..They need a nice sized tank though. If they have to small of a tank they will starve to death. a 55-75g SHOULD be okay.

I am not really that sure that they will take out the bacteria though, IME, i never noticed anything going wrong with it. Sand really isnt that big of a filter IMO though, LR is bigger.

Sand needs to be sifted alot though, or else stirring it up could cause disaster at some point. And a SS star is great for that.

 

Those build up over time, if you dont sift the sand alot, they will build up, then when you stir up the sand for the 1st time in months or years..It will be bad.

 

I've read mixed reviews, but lacking evidence from both sides. I can say that I'm quite skeptical with bvb's idea.

 

but if the sand hasnt been regularly sifted getting a ss will cause disaster.

 

I added a SS after 6 months, the only thing sifting the sand was a few narite snails..Nothing happened, i tested regularly.

 

what if he hasnt sited sand for over a year, then it would be catastrophic and he would lose everything.

 

Thats def true!

Nvizn, do you have anything sifting it as of right now?

 

I've done a lot of research lately looking into them too. What I read is that they actually eat the invertebrates and microfauna in the sandbed, and after those are eaten then they will slowly starve to death over the course of a year or so.

The recommendations, if you want to preserve the life in your sand bed as well as keep the star happy and healthy was something like one per 500 gallon tank.

Although I think you can feed them by injecting mysis into the sand in front of it or near it.