How do you feed sand sifting star?

[TooncesLoki]

I'm afraid of starving my sand sifting star, but I don't know how to target feed him. Any suggestions?

[captainken]

they eat sand and clean it.
does it look a little skinny now compare to when you first got it?

[TooncesLoki]

i don't really know if he looks skinnier, but he has been extremely inactive lately

[jeffsdesigns]

Sand sifting stars are bad for your sand bed. They eat all the benificial critters in your sand and will end up dying.

I can't believe fish store actually sell these things.
The good fish store that don't will help explain why a deep sand bed is benificial.

Trade hum in for a cuke or something.

Let you sand bed live...in the long run, it'll whiten up.
Might be wise after you trade him in to get a few cups of live sand from your lfs and seen your tank.
The critters will multiple quickly.

[polskp]

Originally posted by jeffsdesigns
Sand sifting stars are bad for your sand bed. They eat all the benificial critters in your sand and will end up dying.

I can't believe fish store actually sell these things.
The good fish store that don't will help explain why a deep sand bed is benificial.

Trade hum in for a cuke or something.

Let you sand bed live...in the long run, it'll whiten up.
Might be wise after you trade him in to get a few cups of live sand from your lfs and seen your tank.
The critters will multiple quickly.

Is this true? ? ?

[wwxc]

Those stars are death for a DSB. Same goes for the sand sifting gobies. I don't know why stores sell them so much. The need for a "clean" deep sand bed is an antiquated notion.

Tiger tail cukes and conchs are two good larger sized sand bed maintainers that won't deplete the critter population.

[captainken]

i have used sifters and gobies for years and this is not true.

[wwxc]

I'm going to go with Dr. Ron (who has a PHD among other things) on this one.

http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm

If you think about it, it makes complete sense.

Safe: Fighting and Queen Conchs, Sea Cukes, Brittle Stars, Tiny Hermits, Snails (cerith, nass, etc.), Bristleworms. These creatures eat detritus and algae films.

Bad for Sand Beds: Gobies, Sand Stars, Horseshoe Crabs. These animals don't eat detritus, they eat worms, pods, and other beneficial critters in the sand bed. They may turn over the top layer, but they are not "cleaning the bed" they are slowly stripping it of life, which will lead to a crash down the road.

Captainken, how long has your reef been set up? And are you using a DSB?