I'm in trouble

[sotystl]

Help, please, i have a 29 gallon with a clown and a goby, this is not the probem though. I was at the store yesterday and fell in love with a sand sifting star, i questioned the worker there and was told my tank would be perfet for it. Turns out my tank isnt established enougg, its been running for 3 months, what can i do to feed this guy? i dont want to lose him

 

[fishieness]

it doesnt matter how established yoru tank is, a 29 gallon isnt going to provide enough food. return him and give the employee an earful. ask for at least 100% store credit.
oh yeah, and dont trust them again

 

[sotystl]

They wont take him, in risk of disease that may be in my tank. These guys are jokes, i called a good friend, that has given me some really good advice on trying to get this guy to thrive, including spot feeding brine shrimp, im gonna seed my bed with someestablished reef sand. Wish me luck

 

[yimmy]

Most fish stores will do anything to get you to but fish, I would find a new store, if you can find somewhere else to take him, good luck though, you might just have to spot feed him.

 

[fishieness]

spot feeding sand sifting stars isnt going to do a lot of good. they need more. and reef sand isnt enough, even if your entire sandbed was established, you just dont have enough volume in a tank taht size. if the LFS wont take him, id say try to find another that will or give it to another reefer. even someone that has a haraquin shrimp as a last resort. it takes about 6 months-a year for them to starve to death. but at least you know early one.

 

[corally]

I've also read on here that sand sifting stars also eat the beneficial critters in your sand bed.

 

[fishieness]

Originally Posted by corally
I've also read on here that sand sifting stars also eat the beneficial critters in your sand bed.
yes, which is why they dont last long. cause all those critters dont reproduce too quickly