What could be happening to my sandsifting star?

[roseselene]

Hi! I've had a sandsifting star for over a year now.....I can't remember exactly how long, but probably 18 or 19 months. No problems whatsoever. It has been quite active as far as I can tell and has grown quite a bit. Last week I noticed that 4 out of 5 of his legs had been cut short. I was quite shocked and we did a big water change just to make sure there were no problems, etc, etc.... He was kind of quiet for a while....we hardly saw him, and then all of a sudden in the past couple of days he has been on the move again....very active, I see him above the sand alot. Now, all of a sudde, the last of him legs is breaking off. Now, I realize that with stars, they can regenerate, but I can't figure out what is going on. Could it be that he is outgrowing my tank and is injuring himself on the rocks? He doesn't appear to have any other marks or anything on him.
Can anyone shed any light on this?
Thanks so much!
Amy

 

[Len]

Hi Amy, sorry to hear about the star. Starfish live for a 5-10 years, so there is a chance yours is getting old and naturally atrophing. However, I think what's happening is your starfish is malnurished. These sandsifting stars are voracious predators of sandbed infauna, and in many cases, they starve in closed systems. While they're touted as a good way to stir sandbeds, I do not recommend them unless you have a massive tank (and even then, I don't think they're inclusion is necessary).

 

[roseselene]

Oh, poor guy! I would hate to think that I'm starving anything. No, we don't have a big tank --- its only a 55 gallon. Is there anything I can try to add to the tank to give it a boost as far a food for him? I don't want to be starving an animal to death
Amy

 

[Len]

I'm afraid there's not much you can add that will provide immediate relief. Companies like inlandaquatics.com and ipsf.com sell detrivore kits (little critters that seed your substrate) but they do not sell them in high quantities since these are meant as foods but rather as population seeds to grow out. If you can find it a new home, preferably a big, established tank, that will be its best chance. BTW, whatever you do, don't throw it back in the ocean (not sure how close you are to the Caribbean )

In the grand scheme of things, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[bhanson]

I was thinking about getting a star for my sandbed. I had a goby for a few years and am looking for something to do some work on my DSB, any suggestions Len?

 

[roseselene]

hmmmm
Anyone near Clearwater FL with a big tank who needs a sandsifting star?
Amy

 

[Len]

Brian, my suggestion is to let your the small critters do the work. Most sandsifters marketed to hobbyists are predators of the sandbed infauna, so it kind of defeats the purpose. For 10 years, I did not employ a single "sandsifter" in my 120 gallon. I let the little critters do the chore of keeping the sandbed aerated and preventing it from clumping. When I tore down the tank, the sandbed was loose and easy to remove.

If I had to use a sandsifter, I'd get a Tongan fighting conch (or a Queen Conch for big tank).

 

[bhanson]

OK thanks for the info