Sand sifting starfish advise

[Jasongtr]

We have had a sand sifting star fish for a couple of months now, the tank is about 4 months old, our LFS sold it to us knowing how new the tank was and in hindsight and reading various things it seems it could not of been the wisest of purchase’s.

our sand is in virtually pristine condition, I see many people suggesting they are notoriously difficult to keep in aquariums especially new ones, we try target feeding with little apparent success, he/she climbs the glass and is moving around a fair bit, buries itself etc

we are in the new year setting up a new tank and as such will have brand new clean sand so I assume this is going to make life even harder for the little thing, so would it be best to return it to the LFS in light of the new tank being set up?

we love having it but not at the risk of killing it slowly, so is there any specific things to care for them in such a new environment or will it inevitably die if we kept it, obviously I want to do the best thing rather than just keep it for our own viewing pleasure

 

[Fish Think Pink]

We have had a sand sifting star fish for a couple of months now, the tank is about 4 months old, our LFS sold it to us knowing how new the tank was and in hindsight and reading various things it seems it could not of been the wisest of purchase’s.

our sand is in virtually pristine condition, I see many people suggesting they are notoriously difficult to keep in aquariums especially new ones, we try target feeding with little apparent success, he/she climbs the glass and is moving around a fair bit, buries itself etc

we are in the new year setting up a new tank and as such will have brand new clean sand so I assume this is going to make life even harder for the little thing, so would it be best to return it to the LFS in light of the new tank being set up?

we love having it but not at the risk of killing it slowly, so is there any specific things to care for them in such a new environment or will it inevitably die if we kept it, obviously I want to do the best thing rather than just keep it for our own viewing pleasure

Have you considered putting bits of shrimp, clam and/or mussels into the sand for it to find and eat? Here in USA, LFSs sell those frozen. Your 'target feed' isn't very specific.

I'd suspect if you gave starfish back to LFS, it runs a 50/50 chance of next owner getting similar advise, so starfish would be same (or worse off) situation. At least now it has a caring home that became better educated and is trying.

Fingers crossed for you and starfish.

 

[Jasongtr]

Have you considered putting bits of shrimp, clam and/or mussels into the sand for it to find and eat? Here in USA, LFSs sell those frozen. Your 'target feed' isn't very specific.

I'd suspect if you gave starfish back to LFS, it runs a 50/50 chance of next owner getting similar advise, so starfish would be same (or worse off) situation. At least now it has a caring home that became better educated and is trying.

Fingers crossed for you and starfish.

Thank you

we try the shrimp that we feed the fish, we’ve tried pellets too and even algae wafers and lance fish, seems to glide over it, we did even think of taking it out in a shallow bowl of tank water and just the food (only for 10/15 minutes)

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Thank you

we try the shrimp that we feed the fish, we’ve tried pellets too and even algae wafers and lance fish, seems to glide over it, we did even think of taking it out in a shallow bowl of tank water and just the food (only for 10/15 minutes)

Use care when removing starfish - there are reports of them suffocating when removed from water. If you are putting it in an external bowl, do that underwater so it stays submerged

I know, they sometimes climb glass or nozzle and put themselves out of the water... one assumes they know what they are doing LOL

 

[Jasongtr]

Use care when removing starfish - there are reports of them suffocating when removed from water. If you are putting it in an external bowl, do that underwater so it stays submerged

I know, they sometimes climb glass or nozzle and put themselves out of the water... one assumes they know what they are doing LOL

Ok thanks, I did plan to keep it under an inch or two of water but also assumed they’d be ok in minimal water as starfish be found in rock pools but I’ll keep it under

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Thank you

we try the shrimp that we feed the fish, we’ve tried pellets too and even algae wafers and lance fish, seems to glide over it, we did even think of taking it out in a shallow bowl of tank water and just the food (only for 10/15 minutes)

I'd try something like clam, oyster, etc. and/or snail meat (you can find various frozen/live marine snails to try online, including conch meat, periwinkle snails, babylonian snails, etc.)

The quote below is specifically geared toward Astropecten spp. (predatory) sand sifting stars, but there is another genus of sand sifting stars called Archaster that is thought (importantly the diet was inferred, not studied in the research that this diet was pulled from) to be detritivorous (specifically, they are thought to be microphagous detritivores). I have heard but cannot confirm that Archaster spp. misidentified as Astropecten spp. may be more common in the hobby than actual Astropecten spp. are.

So, with this in mind:
- If your star is detritivorous (which may be a very big if), then you would likely want smaller foods than the suggested below (which is designed for predatory sand sifters). In this case, I'd suggest trying to mix something like TDO Chroma Boost into the sand for your stars to find.
- If your star is predatory (which may to our limited knowledge be possible at this point even if it is an Archaster sp.), then the below advice (and my advice above) is more likely to be useful.
- If your star is actually primarily a biofilm eater like Linckia spp. Protoreaster nodosus, etc. (which may also to our limited knowledge be possible for an Archaster sp.), then it's likely to die regardless of what you do or don't feed it at this point.

I’ve heard they climb the glass when they’re looking for food and can’t find any in the sand bed.

Generally, people recommend large tanks and waiting until your tank is established before trying these (or pretty much any) sea stars, and the star survives on detritus in the tank. Unfortunately, even in a lot of these tanks, after they finish clearing the detritus from the sand, they typically starve.

My current advice to avoid the star staving - which may or may not help, I genuinely don't know at this point (it could take someone months to years of testing it to find out for certain, as sea stars can last months without food):
Target feed the star things like clam on half shell, oyster, mussel, scallop, etc. (bivalves); snail, whelk, conch, etc. (sea snail gastropods); and a good quality omnivore food (like LRS Reef Frenzy or Fertility Frenzy). These are - according to the best sources of information I can find - the sorts of foods sand sifting stars consume in the wild, and the star should swallow these foods whole if they aren't too big - you might need to experiment a bit with the size of the pieces offered to get it sized just right, but generally I'd say err on the smaller side.

If you decide to give it a shot, let me know how it goes, and keep me updated on the long term survival of the star!

 

[AcesHighStudios]

Have you considered putting bits of shrimp, clam and/or mussels into the sand for it to find and eat? Here in USA, LFSs sell those frozen. Your 'target feed' isn't very specific.

I'd suspect if you gave starfish back to LFS, it runs a 50/50 chance of next owner getting similar advise, so starfish would be same (or worse off) situation. At least now it has a caring home that became better educated and is trying.

Fingers crossed for you and starfish.

If he keeps a starfish he knows his sand cannot support, then he is not better educated. The starfish is better off going back to the LFS.