Sand sifting starfish dying

[phillipsjo21]

Hi, I can tell my sand sifting starfish is dying. There is still plenty of algae in the tank on the rocks but it only stays in the sand. So I've been trying to make sure there was always so extra algae pellets that would fall in the sand bed but I don't think the starfish is picking it up. Should I take it out of the tank? I'm pretty sure it's tube like tentacles are still moving when I picked him up but his arms are falling apart and he's definitely limp. Anything helps, thanks.

 

[phillipsjo21]

Also, I feel like the fish are staying away from the starfish so I want to make sure he isn't toxic?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Also, I feel like the fish are staying away from the starfish so I want to make sure he isn't toxic?

The star isn’t toxic in any way that would hurt your tank, but if it dies and degrades in the tank, it could potentially cause an ammonia spike.

That said, if the star feels limp and is still moving its tube feet, then it’s not dead yet, so you may or may not be able to save it.

There is still plenty of algae in the tank on the rocks but it only stays in the sand. So I've been trying to make sure there was always so extra algae pellets that would fall in the sand bed but I don't think the starfish is picking it up.

These starfish don’t eat algae in any meaningful quantities. They’re probably carnivorous, but may be detritivorous (see the quotes below). Personally, I’d try putting the star in an acclimation box with a dish of sand for it, and I’d try offering it a bunch of mollusks for it to eat (clams, mussels, oysters, and small but meat-eating snails like Nassarius snails would be my suggestions at this point), and see if it shows interest in eating any of them. If it does, then I’d try offering it more of that item in various sizes and see if it has a preferred food size.

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!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Hi, I can tell my sand sifting starfish is dying. There is still plenty of algae in the tank on the rocks but it only stays in the sand. So I've been trying to make sure there was always so extra algae pellets that would fall in the sand bed but I don't think the starfish is picking it up. Should I take it out of the tank? I'm pretty sure it's tube like tentacles are still moving when I picked him up but his arms are falling apart and he's definitely limp. Anything helps, thanks.

They don't eat algae... at least it's not their primary diet. They need a mature sand bed to survive (meaning it contains lots of detritus and/or tiny inverts)

 

[albano]

Unfortunately, there is really only one thing that these starfish do in a tank…die!
Their survival rate is near 0.