anyone have a sand dollar?

[seatrueblue]

We just bought one the other day after doing a little reading on them for a little while. It keeps moving about on the sand collecting shells and eating up any diatom algae. The store we got it from said they have had it for a very long time. They were tearing down the display tank the sand dollar was in. They said if I'm interested in the sand dollar they will give me a good price. About the only problem I have had with it is that.. today..it decided that it wanted to be in the same spot where my heliofungia was at. It is so cool that I have a alive sand dollar, I have quite a few dead sand dollars that I found on the beach. So does anyone else have a sand dollar?
sorry for the bad picture



They called it their little dirt pile..lol and some of the people that worked at the store was sad to see the dirt pile go.

[prow]

they are cool to have. beware most starve within a year. they need a big sand bed(big tank with DSB) and working refugium to meet their plankton/food needs.

[seatrueblue]

The store I bought it from had this dollar for quite some time..longer than a year probably, they couldn't remember exactly how long.. in a tank that didn't have a deep sand bed like mine. So I don't know how it lived in that tank for so long without a DSB. It is in my 120 tank..some places the sand is 4" and other places 3". I try to make sure my tank is suitable for every thing I buy. So does anyone else have a sand dollar or am I the only one? lol

[prow]

was their tank big or was it running inline with other tanks? you maybe the only one, lol. if there is enough food supplied is the main thing. for me they just eat up lots of stuff and take away food for other things i want in my tank.

[ASH]

I had 8 sand dollars at one time. My friend brought the from our beach and they survived for 6 months but then when we moved them to the 55 gal the didn't make it.

[Dentoid]

My understanding is like Prows, they are difficult to keep nourished. That doesn't mean it can not be done. Please keep us posted.

[Stacef]

Wow! Definately keep us posted, I think sand dollars are very neat!! Congrats.

[seatrueblue]

Thanks everyone..I will try to keep everyone posted..he/she seems really healthy. I keep looking at the tank to see where it will be next.

[Stacef]

Very neat Christina, can't wait to hear about it's next adventure!

[tippMANn98]

Originally Posted by seatrueblue

We just bought one the other day after doing a little reading on them for a little while. It keeps moving about on the sand collecting shells and eating up any diatom algae. The store we got it from said they have had it for a very long time. They were tearing down the display tank the sand dollar was in. They said if I'm interested in the sand dollar they will give me a good price. About the only problem I have had with it is that.. today..it decided that it wanted to be in the same spot where my heliofungia was at. It is so cool that I have a alive sand dollar, I have quite a few dead sand dollars that I found on the beach. So does anyone else have a sand dollar?
sorry for the bad picture



They called it their little dirt pile..lol and some of the people that worked at the store was sad to see the dirt pile go.

is this flat, and green/gray like a live sand dollar? to me in the picture it looks like what I know here in FL as a sea biscuit. similar to a sand dollar just fat like a bagel.

[BigAl07]

I didn't know sand dollars were available in the trade.. but then again I'm a LONG way from the ocean and we don't get the "Cool" stuff up here in the mountains!!

Way to go Christina!

[kathywithbirds]

That is awesome!! I don't think I've ever seen a live sand dollar!!

[tippMANn98]

they are usually NOT. i dont know the rules on them. but they are food for birds here by me. we have TONS of them out here in the gulf

[prow]

growing up i was always messing with the sea life. we would collect sand dollars all the time. i remeber my aunt telling me about the doves and angels inside them. she told me, if you get one and break it open and find 5 little white birds that are unbroken inside, its said there are angles looking out for you FYI most have 3 or 4 birds, the ones i got to anyway, many many, we spend many summer days hunting for them.
the little white birds are called Doves of Peace and look like this;


here is the legend as it goes....

The legend of the Sand Dollar


There's a pretty little legend
That I would like to tell
Of the birth and death of Jesus
Found in this lowly shell.


If you examine closely,
You'll see that you find here
Four nail holes and a fifth one
Made by a Roman's spear.


On one side the Easter lily,
Its center is the star
That appeared unto the shepherds
And led them from afar.


The Christmas poinsettia,
Etched on the other side
Reminds us of His birthday,
Our happy Christmastide.


Now break the center open,
And here you will release
The five white doves awaiting
To spread Good will and peace.


This simple little symbol,
Christ left for you and me
To help us spread His Gospel
Through all eternity.

[seatrueblue]

In every search I did on google, it said that the sea biscuit is a dome shaped sand dollar or they say sea biscuit aka sand dollar. Maybe these sea biscuit sand dollars do better in aquariums than the flat sand dollar? I don't know..well this sand dollar has knocked over my green wall hammer coral that I have in the sand..I really need to get some coral putty.