Unintentional sand sifting starfish killer

[darrowj]

I've had a sand sifting starfish for about 3 months. He has been a happy little starfish that always moved about my tanks and kept my sand nice and white.

Within the last couple weeks I've noticed parts of his legs(?) disappearing. I didn't think much of it a first. I figured at first he got a couple caught under a rock or something and freed itself by losing the limb.

Anyway, it has gotten bad and he is now simply a very small starfish with just a center mass and no legs. I have an small green crab and a bunch of scralet hermit crabs but never see them bother it. I also have a dottyback and yellow tang but again don't see them give it any problem.

Any idea why this sort of thing might happen? Similiar experiences? Can someone suggest a another hardy species to clean/sift sand?

46 Gallon tank
3-4 inch sand bed
NI - 0
NA - 10
PH - 8.4
Calcium - 420
Am - 0
Phos - .1

 

[NateHanson]

It's possible it just starved to death. I've heard that sand-sifting starfish don't often find enough food in our tanks. (Also they eat all that good life out of the sandbed.) I'd try using nassarius, a conch, and some cerith snails to maintain your sandbed instead of a fish or star.

 

[saltwaterB]

I have to agree with Nate. I normally do not recomend sand sifting Fish or Starfish. We rarely have enough in our tanks to keep them alive. Plus as Nate said they do eat a lot of the things that we want in our active live sandbeds.
I find Cerith Snails and Cucumbers to be the best sandbed cleaners out there.

-B-

 

[ReeferMedic]

I have to agree with both Nate and B. Tiger Cucumbers are some of the best "sand cleaners" imo. They ingest "dirty" sand and crap out "clean" sand. They will also split and multiply over time. They also don't spread sand all over everything unlike sand sifting fish.

 

[nichols]

I also agree with all of the above. I had one in a 75 gal about 4 years ago which slowly starved to death. I have a couple cukes and a bunch of nassarius and cerith snails in my 210 which do a great job of keeping the sand bed clean.

 

[darrowj]

Thanks everyone. This is one of those live and learn instances I guess.

 

[addictedreefer]

FWIW I have a sand sifting star in a 34 that has been thriving for over 3 months with no signs of stress. Just a thought, but the missing limbs makes me wonder about a hitch hiking harlequin shrimp...