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04-10-2007, 06:11 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami
Posts: 56
Karma: 8
 
|  sand sifting ideas
hey everyone, long time no see...
well 2 weeks ago i got a fighting conch for my tank in hope that it would move the sand around. i was reading up on them, and what i saw was that they are supposed to get really into the sand and only come out when they smell food. but i've only seen mine bury itself once, its always in the surface of the sand. i've been sifting my sand myself because its very dirty. to be on the safe side, i only sift the visual sand, but i have a little cave that the sand is always dirty. i leave it dirty so that maybe if he decides to clean it he'll get in there.
should i get another one? or should i get something else? _________ since 2/16/07: 14Gal. biocube with 10lb of LR, 15lb of LS. 48 watts PC's 2 firefish, 10 hermits, sand sifting star | 
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04-10-2007, 06:34 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Meriden, Connecticut Age: 43
Posts: 3,866
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I would only go with one Conch(may fight) and add a Sea Cucumber, some Nassirus snails and Serpent and/or Brittle stars> You have alot of detritivors and herbivores living within your substrate as burrowing organisms, such as polychaete worms, and tiny crustaceans that will feed on particulate matter and help to keep your phosphate level under wraps and clean your substrate as well so deitrtus doesn't accumulate. _________ 125gal.w/Mag9.5 return(dual megaflow)>Mag7 pump Aqua Cev180skimmer.Wave2k Hamilton Reefstar(2)250watthqi(mh)pend.a Yellow, Naso Tang Red Lip Blenny Percula Clown Demoiselles Niger Trigger F. Wrasses Ceriantharia Orn.Shrimp and Stars Hermits Queen Conch asst. snails> Stars Zoos shrooms Montipora Brains Gorgonians Favia Turbinaria(large+small polyp) Acropora Xenia Tridacna (CroceaMaximaSquamosa) Leathers <35+75gal.reef tank as well> 
"IF THE PHONE DOESN'T RING...IT'S ME"  jb  | |
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04-10-2007, 09:06 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: West Seattle Age: 29
Posts: 37
Karma: 22
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I have a sand sifting star that does a great job of stirring my substrate. Only $10 at the lfs. I have had a difficult time keeping one alive longer then 6 months though. I think it has been my own fault keeping my water level steady though. _________ 54 quarter corner - nova t5 - 3 mj1200 2 w/hydor flo - dual cpr cs90 - cpr cy192 - css220 - quiet one 3000 - 9w turbo-twist uv - mn404 - Galaxia - Torch - White Star Polyps - Maze Brain - Feather Duster - Mushrooms mated false percs - lawnmower blenny - six-line - firefish - pygmy angel - singapore angel - target mandarin - fire shrimp - arrow crab - tongan fighting conch -tuxedo urchin - sand star - sand cuke | |
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04-10-2007, 09:47 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Meriden, Connecticut Age: 43
Posts: 3,866
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IMO, your sand sifting star didn't last that long because it starved to death. Your substrate has to be deep, fine grain and mature with numerous pods etc. with which to feed!
You also need a 125 gallon tank or so to enable it to scavange for food. The more surface area the better, to ensure the star is getting ample food in your substrate! | |
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04-10-2007, 03:52 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Feather Duster
Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: jonesboro, arkansas Age: 29
Posts: 215
Karma: 12
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my sand sifter star does a great job for me as well. i have had it for at least 2years. they seem very hardy
_________
125 gallon glass. 3 10k 250w metal halides, 1 4ft 110w vho actinic. who knows how much live rock. yellow tang, domino, cinnamon clown, percula clown, flame angel,peppermint shrimp, camel shrimp, skunk shrimp, a few turbo snails, lots of hermit crabs, leather coral, branching frogspawn, mushrooms, too much xenia, and several different zoo's and button polyps | |
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04-16-2007, 05:28 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami
Posts: 56
Karma: 8
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thanks, i think im going to get a small star. the only thing is that i need to wait a while, my nitrates are extremely high. so im going to wait it out, so that nothing else dies.
i was reading on the stars and saw that someone said that they eat small fish. is this true? i have two, small firefish.
is there a specific sand sifting star that i should get? | |
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04-16-2007, 09:35 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: West Seattle Age: 29
Posts: 37
Karma: 22
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Squirt
the stars are really cool but Coral Reefer is right you need a big tank 125g or more to keep one. I have a 55g and I can see the legs already turning in which means it's dying (starving). I have tried to give it formula 1/2 pellets and dried seaweed but it doesn't seem to eat it. I have done a lot of research in the last few days and majority says they need a larger tank.
I would suggest a few of the nasserius (?) snails. From what I read they stir your substrate really good by burying themselves into it.
Just a suggestion. | |
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04-16-2007, 10:00 AM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Whip-Lash Squid
Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elizabethtown, IN Age: 40
Posts: 2,998
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Nassarius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have about 25 of these in a 55 gal and they are always in the sand and only come out when they smell food. I am ordering 100 of these for my 265 because the stir sand so good. If you are getting a green britle star I would watch out because when they get big you will start missing shrimp, small fish..etc. _________ Scott 265g (Peninsula)
3x400w MH's, 4x95w Actinics, AAT Lunar Lights, OM 4-way CL, PM Bullet 3 Skimmer, DelZone Eclipse 1 O3 Generator, WavySea Plus for return, AAT Kalk Reactor, KNOP Ca Reactor w/PM Second Chamber, TradeWinds Chiller, ACIII Controller, Oceanus ATO, PM PO4 Reactor, 75g Sump, 30g Fuge Born March 5, 2007 My 265 Gal. Tank Thread " REAL TIME TANK STATS "   | |
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04-18-2007, 06:29 AM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami
Posts: 56
Karma: 8
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ok, so no star. fish place guy suggested it thats why i was considering it. im going to wait for my nitrates to regulate, then ill see whats going to be best for my sands condition. thanks for the suggestions, i will keep it in mind. oh and thanks for the site otty... | |
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04-23-2007, 05:55 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Sea Dragon
Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: miami Age: 23
Posts: 514
Karma: 74
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pistol shrimp... thats all i have to say about this matter... rofl. i went through this when you where just starting up on this site. i remember because i had two problems,
1. sandsifting ideas
2. looking for pistol shrimp.
i found the pistol shrimp first and my other problem went away. mainly because the shrimp will not sleep, eat, drink, reproduce... all they think about is moving sand... and that is all they have done for the past 4 months...
they are great and not too noisy
_________
15 gallon aga
20 pounds lr
35 pounds ls
Current Power quad 96 watt retrofit
ZooMed Powersweep 214
Aquaclear 70 moded into refugium
two trumpet corals (1 light blue, 1 lime green)
star pollyps (pink base with yellow tips, and regular green)
various mushrooms (over 5 types)
metalic green frogspawn
sea mat (aka button polyps)
2 false percs
1 cherub angel (2 1/2 years old)
2 blue legged hermits
2 turbos
2 margarita snails
2 Astrea snails
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