Is there any way to feed a sand bed for a Sand Sifting Star?

[Abarnswell]

I really really want a sand-sifting starfish, but my nanoreef tank is only 15 g. There's not enough open sand bed for him to roam in.

So I was wondering if it would work if I set up a sand bed only tank (with a few rocks and maybe a couple soft corals) with a sand sifter star or two (?), and then be able to "feed" the sand bed and/or the stars so that they have enough food?

One web site I read said "In the aquarium, it can be fed small pieces of shrimp, fish..." That would be easy enough to do. Would a Sand Sifter be okay, then, in his own tank, if I provide him enough food? I have a 10g. tank with a live sand bed in it and nothing else at the moment. That would probably be big enough for a small starfish, to start off, but I read that they get up to 12" in diameter in an aquarium. Yikes!! How big a tank would that guy need??

 

[Jennie]

They do grow slowly, but really need an established tank to maintain proper health. There are "boosters" that you can purchase to seed your tanks sandbed, but not really sure how fast that they replenish was is consumed on a regular basis.

 

[dragon79]

i have a sandsifter star, but not because I wanted one, but only to see if it would become food for a rare shrimp I had, the shrimp didn't take to the star, so it croaked, and I ended up with the sandsifting star in my 6 gallon. I've had him for several months, no ill effects, and looks to be doing just fine. I through occasionally some frozen meaty foods and seed it into the live sand as additional food that he can get to later.

My GF is also has a tank, but a 12 gallon. She has a nice scrumptious thicker sandbed than mine, plenty of food crawling through there. I recently tossed him in there. Made sure temp, and salinity was the same b4 i transferred him. He's loving it, goes deep in that sandbed and dont see him sometimes.....must be too busy eating.

 

[incysor]

It's not a good choice for a nano. Even a DSB-only nano. Echinoderms, (and lots of other marine critters), can last a long time on their energy reserves. Especially if they are getting SOME nutrition. But that doesn't mean that they're not slowly starving. I try to think in terms of years, not months when it comes to the tanks, and try to stock accordingly.

B