Sand Sifting Star

I have read many contradictory posts on this creature. I was given one by a friend. Very interresting creature. I have a 125G 6' tank with a decent sand bed (2-3" in most places).

Are these really bad for your tank? What are the pros and cons?

 

I have had one for about 6 months now and it has probably grown about an inch on each leg. I have had no problems. If your tank is big enough for them to find food you should be good.

 

the main thing i have heard about them is starvation and them burrowing into the sand and dying..other than that they sound like a great CuC member..may be wrong though

 

Right... I heard they eat pods and any signs of life in your sandbed.
When they run out they die. It is a very interesting creature, just want to find out more info so I can decide if I want to keep it or not. I wish to keep a mandarin in the future, so if this thing is rocking on my pods LOL it may be gone

 

Problem is for the most part, they eat the fauna (Raabe 2008) in your sand bed. And without a massive sand bed to support the growth fauna AND feeding your star fish it will die. They do eat other things that make it valuable, however I've rarely heard or seen of one lasting more than a year. Although I'm sure people have made it past that time, I'm pretty sure though, the people that claim that use DSB.

 

I've had one for the past 2+ yrs and he's fine. I have pods like crazy, never heard of them eating pods. I want to say that the trick to keeping one alive is to have a big enough tank or space for them to roam. Other than the sand walking, mine has been seen climbing the glass only to fall to the sand when he gets high enough, never seen him on the rocks.

Luna

 

I have a 125 long... with plenty of sand.. I only have probably 80lbs or rock give or take so lots of open sand... He should be okay then.

 

yup......key word being should.


Luna