Sand Sifting Starfish

[Cal Native]

What is the normal activity of the sand sifting starfish? I just bought one at my LFS yesterday and it buried itself right away now this evening it is moving around the tank quite a bit. Do I need to feed it anything in particular? I tried some shrimp pieces but it didn't seem interested. Or do I just let it eat whatever it can find?
Thanks

 

[Frankie]

It will feed on it's own. Mine cruses the sand most of te time just under it. Sometimes like today it will go up the glass. You really need a mature sand bed to keep these guys alive.

 

[Cal Native]

my tank is about 10 months old is that old enough?

 

[Frankie]

Yes, you should be fine for a sand sifting star after 10 months.

 

[lcstorc]

EVen though I don't feed mine specifically he seems to come out every night when I feed the tank. I've never seen him eat any of the food like my serpent star does.

 

[Frankie]

Mine would quickly starve to death if he depended on being fed! Good Lord the competition he would have in my system!

 

[michael_cb_125]

I had two in my 100 gallon. They cruised all over. They climbed the glass, rocks, crawled on top of the sand. Then I would not see them for several weeks. Mine grew like crazy. Then I put my Harlequin shrimp in there. Now I am starless.
Sand Sifting stars eat tiny little food particles. I never saw mine eat anything.

 

[CATALYST]

Mine would hide sometimes for a couple days and be out wandering too. I think they do best in a big tank though. My lfs steered me wrong and sold me one for my new aquapod. He lasted 9 months. I would put mysis under the sand to supplement but I think the combination of new tank and small tank led to it's demise. Poor guy...I really like him and they are efficient sand caretakers.

 

[lcstorc]

I had two in my 100 gallon. They cruised all over. They climbed the glass, rocks, crawled on top of the sand. Then I would not see them for several weeks. Mine grew like crazy. Then I put my Harlequin shrimp in there. Now I am starless.
Sand Sifting stars eat tiny little food particles. I never saw mine eat anything.

I've never seen mine on the rocks. Only the sand and the glass. It is super cool to watch them flip over after they fall off of the glass and land upside down. Every time I watch fascinated.

 

[Royalscott]

When we first put in our sand sifter, he would go up the glass, fall off and then the fun began! I love watching him flip himself back over. He is now named acrobat!!

 

[jaksprat1]

I've had one in my 75 gal for 3-4 weeks, and for the first 3 he was invisible - He was under the sand the entire time and I thought maybe he had died, but then he showed up and started moving on top of the sand like a hovercraft. He seems to be doing fine just eating whatever he finds. He buries himself and then comes out - no particular scheduled behavior.