how to tell when starfish is dead?

tiggerbengal

tiggerbengal

Member
Seems dumb, I know ...... but, how do you tell when a sandsifting starfish is dead? Ever since I put him back into my tank, he hasn't sifter the sand. He just sits on top of the sand. I know he isn't dead because on ocassion he will burry. I'm wondering now if it is true about sandsifters destroying the sandbed... and after they destroy it, they starve?
 
mr . salty

mr . salty

Active Member
When starfish dies there is absolutly NO DOUBT about it.They quite literally fall apart,or MELT. If you can touch it and it still feels somewhat hard,then he is OK for now.But if it crumbles when you touch it,It's dead.As for destroying a sand bed,,,This is new too me.They are very bennaficial to your sand bed.They keep it airated and clean the waste out of it.Both of these are helpfull in sustaining a healty sand bed...
 
tiggerbengal

tiggerbengal

Member
MR . SALTY,
Mine has been just sitting on top of the sandbed, not doing a thing. THis is going to seem weird, but I flipped him over to see if he was dead, and he turned himself over. Is it possible he is starving? About 2 weeks ago, he did a weird thing: he stood up on all 4 legs.....
 
daluminum

daluminum

Member
what Im wondering.. If a starfish "melts" into the water when it dies.. how are there so many starfish "skeletons" on display.. you know the ones you see as decorations.. is it a different type of starfish?? curios.. ~DAniel
 
striker

striker

Member
Hello Mr. Salty, I had read previously on this board that sand sifting stars eat the critters that benefit a dsb. I was going to add one to my swf.com reef pkg but deleted it shortly after reading those posts. I also read that coral banded shrimp and arrow crabs are predators and that anemone's should only be added after at least 6 months. I deleted all of these from my pkg and went with other options. Are these true or are there differing opinions for these animals.
 
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