Sand Sifting Starfish

So, I'm looking to get some opinions on sand sifting starfish from those who have them.

I read a lot about this starfish before buying it and a lot of people said they were good and as many, or more, said they were bad. Many people state that the starfish will only eat the good bacteria as well as the bad. But they claim they eat so much good that they end up harming he tank.

My start fish seems to be eating well and almost too well. Now I have these concerns:

1. Will he run out of food? I have read on many sites that they will eat leftover food and do not need to just eat certain things like once thought.

2. Could he really eat too much good stuff?

My biggest concern is he seems to have eaten a lot and I don't want it to starve

A lot of what I read was dated pretty old. It seem like pre 2010 it was a really bad idea to have a starfish and not many people talk about it now. I am just curious to hear from those that keep them versus those who have read they are bad.

Thanks!

Marcos

I've only had positive experiences with them.

I've never known one to destroy the usefulness of a sandbed.

Not as experienced as some other people with them though.

I disagree with your conclusion. After thinking this over quite a lot, I believe the difference is not whether the earth is flat but whether there is reason for wanting tiny animals living in the sand bed. Please hear me out.

Edited by Mark Peterson - February 22 2015 at 8:02pm

I'm an advocate of both methods of what Mark said combined... I often vacuum my sand to help get rid of detritus but I only do small sections at a time so I don't suck up whole populations of the bugs and worms that Mark refers to. That being said, having a sand star either too large or in too high of numbers in your tank can cause it to starve to death or reduce the populations of the sand life too much.

If you're looking to get a mandarin, be sure to have a lot of places in your rocks for copopods and other life to reproduce in where it cant be decimated by the fish. Sand is only one of the places you'll find them in. I often see a lot of bugs under live rock, corals, shells, etc... basically anywhere it can hide.

Mark/Phys,

Hi,

Excellent description. 

Mark Peterson wrote: Regarding the cleanliness and whiteness of a sand bed full of bugs and worms, of course the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the little critters keep it looking pretty nice, IMO. Then there is always the usefulness of a Sand Sifting Cucumber to keep the sand cleaned up. Cukes are less disturbing to the bugs and worms.

Have you actually done counts or studies on this? You can't just say "the bugs in the sand keep it clean"

What "bugs" are eaten between the two, do you actually know how much is consumed by each invertebrate? What benefit do the "bugs" that are being consumed actually play?

Get a scoop of sand, put it under a microscope, then research the "bugs" you find.

Let me make it clear that I do agree there is plenty of helpful life to be found in a sandbed that helps with the waste removal process. I'm just advocating the documented and scientific study of said sandbed, instead of assumptions and guesses.

FYI, cucumbers digest larger amounts of bioload than sand sifting stars. They burn more calories than the sand sifting stars, and hence need to consume more to maintain. They also have larger and more complex digestive systems. Cucumbers are a larger hit to the life in the sandbed than aforementioned starfish.

Edited by Pete Moss - March 03 2015 at 4:30pm

I don't think asking for qualifying facts to back the statement that "sand sifting starfish eat more bugs than cucumbers" is idiotic.

I just like to run my reef based on facts 

Edited by Pete Moss - March 03 2015 at 7:34pm

Came back to delete this but John already saw it. You are right, my friend. I was getting defensive and argumentative. Sorry.

Edited by Mark Peterson - March 04 2015 at 7:52am