sand stars vs. Pods

ndpb6b

Member
Do the sand sifting stars really take a chunk of the beneficial critters in the sand bed? My LFS convinced me that 4 stars would be okay for my 125. I would like to know everyone's opinion on this.
Thanks
 

viet-tin

Active Member
sand sifting stars will devour your micro fauna. The only star i would get would be any type of linkia star.
 

reefer44

Member
i have one in my 55 and it is a nice addition....i only recommend one star no matter your tank size though.....most linkias starve within a year of being in an aquarium
Brad
 

bang guy

Moderator
I have seen a single Sand-Sifting Starfish will eliminate most sand bed infauna in a thriving 200 gallon tank in less than 3 months.
 

ndpb6b

Member
Yeah, they're going back tomorrow. I am going to either get some fighting conchs or some more hermits or something along those lines. Okay waht should I get to help stir up the sugar sand?
 

viet-tin

Active Member
conches, hermits, snails all are good. Just be careful with the blue leg hermits, Ive heard that they might try and eat your fish if given the chance.
 

craprap

Member
Is the sand sifting starfish the only bad starfish? What about the brittle starfish, are they OK for live sand beds.
 

ndpb6b

Member
I did have a brittle (serpent) star when I first started out in Saltwater and he did great. He would be under the rocks and when I would feed I would see his arms come out from under the rocks and grap flakes and at night he would be out all over the rocks. In a few months if I can get the proper setup for a proper reef setup I would love to plan to get another. They need rock work and good water quality as far as I can tell and have heard. Mine was wounded and since I didn't keep the water quality high enough he got an infection and didn't make it. Big loss.
 

bang guy

Moderator

Originally posted by ndpb6b
Okay waht should I get to help stir up the sugar sand?

Do you have a DSB? Why do you want the sand stirred up?
 

ndpb6b

Member
No it's not that deep, an inch or so, but I don't want any build up of dead materials in the substrate since I can't vaccum it (sugarsand).
 

saltyrich

Active Member
You never want to vaccum your sand. I would strongly incourage you to increase your sand bed depth to at least four inches. The benefits are great for a reef tank. No to the sand star, yes to a brittle or serpent star.
 

sleeri

Member
Brittle stars are great. Just watch your water quality or they'll start droping pieces of themselves all over (happened to me a few years ago when my water quality dropped-stupid me!). I feed mine by hand and I love him. He's thrived in my tank. They can get big... something to keep in mind.
 

bang guy

Moderator

Originally posted by ndpb6b
No it's not that deep, an inch or so, but I don't want any build up of dead materials in the substrate since I can't vaccum it (sugarsand).

Gotcha :)
Do you mind seeing worms on the sand? Cirratulid worms will remove detritus. As will Cerith snails and Black Atlantic Cucumbers.
 

reefer44

Member
i like my sand sifting star.....and on real reefs there really is not to much fuana in the sand......but that is near the sps flats....moving towards the lagoons and more nuitrient rich sand then the fuana starts to proliferate......if you ever gone diving you will see that there isn't much life in the sand.....just cucs. and stars (there is a great thread on -- about it)
Brad
 

badkharma

Member

Originally posted by viet-tin
conches, hermits, snails all are good. Just be careful with the blue leg hermits, Ive heard that they might try and eat your fish if given the chance.

A blue-leg hermit eating a fish? Maybe if it's dead beforehand....they will attack your snails and other types of hermits though...but not fish.
 

ndpb6b

Member

Originally posted by Bang Guy
Gotcha :)
Do you mind seeing worms on the sand? Cirratulid worms will remove detritus. As will Cerith snails and Black Atlantic Cucumbers.

Not at all. I love to see life of all kind in the tank. Especially if it seems to be self-sustained life. I would rather have things be able to live on their own for a little while incase I had to reglect it (worst case scenerio). As far as I am concerned all of the little life in the sand and rocks is as interesting as the fish and inverts. Aren't cucumbers poosibly hazardous if they die in the aquarium? Also what is a Cerith snail?
 

bang guy

Moderator
The Black Atlantic Cucumber isn't risky. It's even edible (yuck). This site sells a Black one from the Indian Ocean, I believe they are similar.
Here's a Cerith Snail
Cerith Snail
 

ndpb6b

Member
What about nudibrances? What's the real story on them? Are they bebficial, what are their needs, wants, life aspirations? Will they work as a cleaner? They are very attractive.
 
Top