Sand Sifting Starfish

Care Summary

The Sand Sifting Starfish is a burrowing detritovore that constantly turns and aerates sand, making it a natural choice for tanks with deep sand beds and detritus accumulation. It needs a tank of at least 75 gallons with a substantial, established sand bed, and it is not suited for nano systems or tanks with sparse substrate where it will quickly exhaust the food supply. The challenge is starvation: Sand Sifting Starfish can decimate the microfauna in a sand bed within months in smaller tanks, crashing their own food source, so only keep them in large, mature systems. Supplement their diet with meaty foods placed directly on the sand near them two to three times a week, especially in systems that are well-maintained and lower in natural detritus.