bad LFS advice ...anyone care to help?

royalgamma

royalgamma

Member
Well I wanted some thing to stir my sand so I went to the LFS and was told a Sand Shifting star would do the trick. (that was about a month ago) lately I've been reading on how much damage to my sand bed this little guy has been doing. So heres the points I'm trying to make ....
1. Any one want a shiftting star
2. Would anyone in the Northern Chicago burbs be able to help me out with some of their live sand critters so I can get mine live again
3. oh I almost forgot the important one...I need to have more self control at the LFS and do research before I buy

Thanks
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by RoyalGamma
Well I wanted some thing to stir my sand so I went to the LFS and was told a Sand Shifting star would do the trick. (that was about a month ago) lately I've been reading on how much damage to my sand bed this little guy has been doing. So heres the points I'm trying to make ....
1. Any one want a shiftting star
2. Would anyone in the Northern Chicago burbs be able to help me out with some of their live sand critters so I can get mine live again
3. oh I almost forgot the important one...I need to have more self control at the LFS and do research before I buy

Thanks
Ah, don't beat yourself up, we were all new once and have all, at one point, made impulse buys. Your lfs won't take the sand sifting star back?
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Mine lived a year in my 55 gallon and then I transferred him with everything else to my 125. He can't/won't kill all your good critters in your 44.
 
cjml

cjml

Member
:help: Why is a sand sifting star not good? What exactly does he do that is bad for the sand?? :notsure:
 
ginarox

ginarox

Active Member
yes i would like to know too, i have one and so far he seems to be doing a great job...thanks and have a great day...
 
farslayer

farslayer

Active Member
They eat all of the beneficial creatures in the sand bed. He will eliminate everything in there inside of a year. Ophura *sp* can elaborate.
 
jimreemts

jimreemts

Member
In my experiance, not just saltwater but fresh as well. the LFS, if worthy of doing business with, will and should take him back with a little credit towards your next purchase.
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
I have one too, and I'm not sure what I would do without the little vacumn cleaner. I do give him extra treats though, like pieces of krill and other meaty bits to make sure his tummy is full and he doesn't start adding items to his menu that I would prefer he didn't eat. Between the mandarin blue goby, my 2 star fish, some crabs, they can hardly keep up with the buffet of goodies that is availalbe. A few of the amphipods and cocpods are about an 8th of an inch long...hmmm about this big...__. Very cute little guys. How deep is your sand bed? Mine was originally 4 inches, I decreased it to 2 because I nolonger intended to keep jaw fish.
 
J

jdragunas

Guest
Originally Posted by Farslayer
They eat all of the beneficial creatures in the sand bed. He will eliminate everything in there inside of a year. Ophura *sp* can elaborate.
AND after they eat everything, they'll starve to death...
 
rykna

rykna

Active Member
Hmmmmmmmmm........
I have had my star since I started the tank. the guy has gotten bigger, and i haven't noticed any complaint forms from the tenants. Are we talking about the same sea star?This is the kind I have.
 
royalgamma

royalgamma

Member
ok wow alot to reply to
1. Yes the LFS will take him back...BUT NO CREDIT or anything and if some one would want him( if I do decide to give it away) I'd rather help some one out than let the LFS make more money off of it..... Only store that I found to have good stock and healthy fish and its a big box store ...PETLAND.
2. The live sand I bought was the stuff in a bag on the shelf so I'm not even sure if there would be any critters in there anyway?Does anyone know?
I was thinking of maybe getting some GARF Grunge..but if someone would help me out locally and save me some $$$ that would be great.
3. I know my sand has "live" bacteria but I just don't see any critters
4. my sand bed is probably about 2-3 inches
5. I was gonna get the diamond goby ( at that same trip) but the LFS guy said that my tank being under a year old ( going on 3 months) that there wouldn't be enough for the goby to survive on...so I got the star instead
6. Don't get me wrong I like watching him and I do want some kinda star in my tank I just don't know if the pros outwiegh the cons
 
oceanists

oceanists

Active Member
I would stop doing businuss wth that LFS if they refuse to even give you wholesale credit , that is flat out rotten , plus that star would consume more than a diamond goby would because you can feed a diamond goby succesfully but with a star it is more hit or miss...
The Star shouldnt be a problem, I have a sand sifting star, a serpeant star and a brittle star in my 55 gallon tank they have all been in there a year and I still have alot of worms digging in my sand pressed against the glass ...
Granted all of these guys will be going into my 180 gallon very soon, I still have had no problems ..... not to mention I also have a goby that keep the top of my sand bed IMMACULATE.
I would deffinatly find a different LFS if they are that set in stone on not taking what was originally theirs back for store credit. Everybody hates losing businuss.
I bought a flower pot coral from a LFS and didnt know much about them (my fault) and when i started reading threads on them I started to get nervous. So I had about $375 that I was about to spend o corals one day , and I called the place I bought it at and asked if he would take it back for credit .... he said he could only give me 5 dollars for something i paid 45 for... so I quickly put on my "your going to regret that decision" voice and said fine ill take my businuss elsewhere..... he must have caller ID because he called me back 5 minutes later and said well i can give you store credit of what you paid... I said awesome thats all i want. So I went and traded it in and he made an extra $375.... never let them know your gonna be spending money though. It has to be genuine.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by RoyalGamma
5. I was gonna get the diamond goby ( at that same trip) but the LFS guy said that my tank being under a year old ( going on 3 months) that there wouldn't be enough for the goby to survive on...so I got the star instead

Time to find a new store if they recommended a sand sifting star over a diamond goby....
 
royalgamma

royalgamma

Member
ok thanks
but I still have one question about my sand
i got the stuff in a bag at *****...i don't beleive it has critters...right?
I only have about 20lbs of live rock(just put in about 75lbs of DIY rock that finally cured :cheer: ) so I don't think I have any ways to get critters by my self...right?What would be ways to get some? And is it really that important?
 
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