sand sifting star fish not moving

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adamp377

Member
I bought a SSF 2 days ago, I drip acclimated him for about an hour and then put him in the tank. He has not moved in the 2 days he has been in there. Is this typical behavior?

I know he is not dead because I have flipped over and he rights himself he just doesnt move around the tank...

Parameters are approx.
PH 8.0-8.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Phosphates barely visible if any at all

Just wondering if I should try to exchange him or get my money back...

I went in the store to get a fighting conch but couldn't pass on the star
 
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FearsomeB

New Member
When I got three sand sifting stars and put two in my tank and one in the sump. The tank has a sand bed of 1-2.5 inches depending on the spot. Both stars immediately burrowed into the sand and have been moving around ever since (about 4 weeks). They've recently started crawling up the glass at nights, getting braver.

The one I put in my sump stayed put for probably about a day. There was less room for him to move around in the sump, though the sand bed is deeper in the spot I placed him.
Within a few days he was also moving around the sump, and come to think of it, I actually haven't seen him for about a week. I'll have to look into that.

That's my experience, hope it helps.
 
Skyreefer

Skyreefer

Member
I'd just wait and let it adjust to the tank. You never know, maybe he's more active at night when you're sleeping. I have a sand sifting star that comes out mostly at night. He only stays out of the sand for about 30 sec. to a minute and then burrows, and he does it mostly after the lights have gone out.
 
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adamp377

Member
I would normally agree that he is active at night except he is in the exact same spot he was a couple days ago so I dunno, the hermits arent picking on him yet so Ill just wait it out. I am going to try to entice him with some mysis tonight see if that gets him moving...
 
eaze333

eaze333

Member
I have 1 in a 75gal. He started digging around right away. It has been about 2 months and now he is crawling on the rocks. I think he already ate everything in the sand. I read they should be in a pretty well established tank because they can clean up alot of sand really fast and they potentially starve without supplemental feedings.
 
A

adamp377

Member
I put some mysis down last night and he was moving to get some of that.

Could my sand be too coarse for him? I dont have the real powdery sand its probably the next step up in grainulars

Here are some pictures hopefully you can see them

1afffa49.jpg


f81a854d.jpg


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In that first and 2nd pic is where the star has sat since I purchased him monday night....
 
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