Sand Sifting Star HELP!!!

[laura-jean]

I just looked at my sand sifting star and he's missing all of his little bristles and it looks like two chucks of him have been bitten out.

I have NOTHING in the tank except for him, snails, a tiny hermit crab... everything died about a month or two ago in a heat wave.

What's going on?!

How can I help him?? He's still moving around the tank pretty fast!

 

[Dakwan]

typically from what i have read/heard is that a sand sifting star will clean out your sand quickly and then slowly starve... especially in a small tank like yours with also such a low bio load... there isn't going to be much in the sand to sift!

As an alternative i would also post your water parameters and also do a check for stray voltage

 

[laura-jean]

He's been fine for the probably ten months I've had him, it could be that he doesn't have enough to eat now that the fish are gone. I'll try target feeding some mysis...

thank you!

 

[Dakwan]

I'd also check the tank for stray voltage if I were you

 

[yote]

+1 Dakwan

 

[Smitty]

I vote for checking for nitrates.

 

[sen5241b]

Wehn something like this happens you always want to check ALL water parms. Many inverts are very sensitive to nitrates.