Someone is snacking on my Sifting Star

Any ideas? I have had him with all of my fish for years now. Haven't added any new fish.

My Fish:
Coral Beauty
Scopas Tang
2 Clowns
2 Banghi Cardinals
Hermits
Snails Sand Sifting Star

My guess is Coral Beauty but she has been with me for years and doesn't touch anything but her flake food and algae sheets and frozen food. My next guess would be the blenny.

Any ideas this was rapid and happened today.

 

Classic sign of a starving sand sifter starfish.

 

agreed...its probably done eating ur sandbed..

 

+1

It's sad that they keep selling them. They all eventually starve on 200 gallons and smaller tanks, specially if not very well established.

 

SAdly they are all right, I had this happen a few weeks ago.

Someone suggested that I put algae sheets, brine, under mine, but unfortunately did not work for me.

It seems that once this happens it all goes down hill from here

 

Oh well hope for the best I guess. My tank is well established several years old, but like everyone has stated stars are better left in the ocean, and horseshoe crabs please don't buy horseshoe crabs. I rescued this sifter off the beach a year ago it was stuck in a fishing net and missing two arms.

 

Today he was lying on the bottom of the tank. After a year I guess he depleted the sand bed. Had I known that when purchasing him, I would have never bought him. I think LFS should not sell things that are commonly known to have a poor survival rate. Its inhumane and awful business practice. I buried him like I would a pet because he was and brought me a year of entertainment and wonder.

Do not buy Astropecten polycanthus, save their lives by not purchasing them. Also i'm a HUGE advocate on the collection and sales of Horse Shoe Crabs, and Sea Horses. They belong in the sea and that is where they should stay. I'll be making the LFS very aware of this in an E-mail, although like I said they already know i'm sure but the dollar signs keep them ordering.

 

sorry to hear this Fiyero. i have had one for over a year and it is depressing to know that it will probably meet the same fate eventually. sadly, i am guilty of making a purchase without fully researching to make sure that i fully understood what this creature needed to survive long term. hopefully this thread along with many others on this site will deter others from making the same mistake.

 

Sorry to hear, bud.

By the way, that little anemone on the top right corner of the rock is an Aiptasia anemone, considered to be a pest by the hobbyists. It is a fast spreading species that can sting other corals when close to them and can also take over the tank, so I would recommend you to get rid of it and any others like it whenever you have a chance. Aiptasia-X works, also you could try injecting it with either lemon juice, vinegar or boiling water. Kalk paste is another option.

Good luck!

 

Sorry but that is not an Aiptasia it is a Viatrix globulifera. I have three of them and they are beautiful. They are common to the Atlantic, very docile I have several species of coral growing right next to them. They have also been in my tank for over 16 months and have never split, reproduced, or bothered anything. They are a very beautiful turtle grass anemone, and one that I will never remove.