foxymoxy
Reefing newb
My mom bought me a sand sifter starfish and put it in today. She says she got it from an LFS but not our regular one. So what do I need to l know about him...thx
Sand shifter starfish
- Thread starter foxymoxy
- Start date
little_fish
Moderator
Normally these guys just starve in our sand beds after stripping it of its beneficial microfauna, however, you might just haven enough of a sandbed for him to do ok.
However, all starfish are highly sensitive to water quality issues and bacteria infections and can just spontaneously melt as well.
However, all starfish are highly sensitive to water quality issues and bacteria infections and can just spontaneously melt as well.
Smitty
Reef pro
Lil fish has you covered...good luck with him.
foxymoxy
Reefing newb
thx...hopefully he will be already ^^
foxymoxy
Reefing newb
My new starfish also climbs the walls but it keeps returning back to the same spot...I am guessing there must be a tone of food there
foxymoxy
Reefing newb
He could be...the wall he climbed is the only one with covered with algea and lots of buggies..I only had him for 3 days so he is either exploring or hungry...I will watch for the next couple of days if he will settle down or not...
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foxymoxy
Reefing newb
the starfish finally decided to bury itself into the sand, with only two tips showing...so i am going to take this as a good sign...
little_fish
Moderator
They wont eat algae sheets like that
foxymoxy
Reefing newb
is there a way i can maintain food in the sand for the starfish?
ErinCahir
Sausage Wrangler
Not really. That's why they're best suited for VERY mature, large systems.
little_fish
Moderator
no its not, they dont eat algae like that. All you are doing is letting food rot in the sand bed to feed the ugly algae.
sand shifting stars eat the microfauna that lives in the sand, and the other types of starfish (formia, linkia etc) eat micro film algae and likely bacteria films as well. Other types of starfish (chocolate chip and other knobby stars) will eat soft corals, sensile invertebrates and other meaty foods. No type of starfish will eat algae sheets.
sand shifting stars eat the microfauna that lives in the sand, and the other types of starfish (formia, linkia etc) eat micro film algae and likely bacteria films as well. Other types of starfish (chocolate chip and other knobby stars) will eat soft corals, sensile invertebrates and other meaty foods. No type of starfish will eat algae sheets.
hoopsdaddy
This is my reef club....
Had a SSS in my 165 for about 5yrs. Looks like you will have a large enough tank. If the tank is over a year old then you should be OK. if not you will have a hard time keeping it alive. Water quality is a must, but it should be for all our marine friends anyway. I would not recommend putting a SSS in anything smaller than a 6 foot tank. They need a lot of places to find food. Just my 2 cents, and little fish is right on with what she is saying about their food source.
foxymoxy
Reefing newb
there is plenty of places for the little guy to find food and the tank has been running since 2010 sept...so about a year and a few months
marcah
Reef enthusiast
I have had mine for a couple years now too.. He climbs the glass quite often falls off the glass then buries himself back in the sand not to be seen again for awhile..
foxymoxy
Reefing newb
Thx for the encouragement ^^ I guess all I can is my best for him...one thing is for sure I am going to make sure no one buys me another starfish...well maybe never consider feathered star fish are magnificently beautiful, but that will be a few years down the road
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little_fish
Moderator
the feathered starfish dont make it in captivity, even in the most mature of systems
