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Sand sifting star - only 2 legs left

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by beckerj3, Oct 2, 2008.

  1. beckerj3 Expert Reefkeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +615 / 2 / -0
    I added two sand sifting stars to my 75 gal tank about 4 years ago.  One disappeared sometime during the last year.  Now I've noticed that my remaining star has only 2 appendages (legs/arms...) left.  Anyone experience this before?  Any thoughts on what might have caused this?  My tank is mainly fish, live rock, snails, crabs, and a few soft corals.
    My nitrates have always been higher than I'd like - around 20-40, although lately I've been attacking this problem with the vodka dosing method.  I'm dosing 2ml a day.  I've been dosing about 3-4 weeks now.
     
  2. RobynT

    RobynT Inactive User

    784
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    I've never had one so I don't have much experience to share but I have read that they get their nutrition from their sand sifting. Possibly they have exhausted their food supply?
     
  3. phishcrazee Experienced Reefkeeper

    Riverside
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    +0 / 0 / -0
    That's what I've always heard, not sure if it's true, but apparently they eat all they can eat from the sandbed, deplete their food supply, then die/starve. I had one and it disappeared after several months, never to be seen again........
     
  4. Garrett

    Garrett Inactive User

    55
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    I think thats a pretty common story.  I have heard of that happening to a lot of people.
    I have always had nano tanks, so as you can imagine a sand sifter is a big no no in them for sure, but before I moved to davenport, I have had lfs's tell me they would be good for my tank to stir up my dsb lol.
     
  5. RobynT

    RobynT Inactive User

    784
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    Actually I had one for a day. When I was new and bought impulsively, I bought one on the advice of a( now out of business) LFS. I went home, did some research and found out that I had no business putting one in a fairly new 29 gallon and took it back to the LFS the next day. I told them I didn't want to watch it die in my tank and they didn't argue with me and refunded my money. I learned to research first and buy second.
     
  6. h2so4hurts

    h2so4hurts Inactive User

    578
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    The key to keeping a sandsifter in a tank that small is target feeding. I bought one for my 120 about a month after I started (4 months ago). Some of the things I have read say 1 per 500 gallons, but that seems excessive. I've been target feeding him brine shrimp every time I see him. I squirt a little under him with a syringe, he stops, eats for about 5 mins. and then moves on. They are pretty neat, but I usually only see mine about 30 minutes before the lights go out. He definitely keeps my crushed coral substrate well mixed though!
     
  7. beckerj3 Expert Reefkeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +615 / 2 / -0
    Thanks for the feedback folks.  One use to be able to purchase brine shrimp in Des Moines, but I don't know of anyplace  that sells it anymore.  Does anyone know a source?
     
  8. h2so4hurts

    h2so4hurts Inactive User

    578
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    I'm pretty sure you can pick up the frozen stuff at any pet store.
     
  9. h2so4hurts

    h2so4hurts Inactive User

    578
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    Here's mine, fed him about half a mL of thawed brine slurry today. Yum!
    [​IMG]
     
  10. beckerj3 Expert Reefkeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +615 / 2 / -0
    Ok.  I was thinking of live brine shrimp, not frozen.  I'll check it out.  I feed my fish mysis shrimp (bought frozen, then thawed).  Think that the star might like that???
     
  11. beckerj3 Expert Reefkeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +615 / 2 / -0
    Oh - good picture.  My star use to look nice like that.  /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/sad.gif
     
  12. h2so4hurts

    h2so4hurts Inactive User

    578
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    +0 / 0 / -0
    I do brine because its small and easier to suck up into my syringe. Mysis might be harder to get mushed up enough to fit in a syringe, but you can try!
     

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