Sand Sifting Starfish

• ExerciseLow

  A calm, unhurried swimmer — peaceful surroundings suit them best.

• GroomingAttentive tank care

  Sensitive to water quality — stay on top of testing and maintenance.

• Living spaceNano-tank friendly

  Happy in a small, stable, well-filtered tank.

• Owner experienceSome experience helps

  A little know-how makes life smoother.

• Commitment3–7 years

  Plan for a long, loving relationship.

Health to watch: Scale / shell rot · Nutritional deficiency · Parasites

The Sand Sifting Starfish (Astropecten polyacanthus) is an Indo-Pacific species with an arm span of about 15 to 20 cm. It spends nearly all its time buried in the top few centimetres of sand, moving slowly and consuming the small worms, crustaceans and organic matter it encounters, which keeps a sand bed turned and free of clumping. It needs a mature system with a deep, well-populated sand bed, realistically 200 litres or more with a large sand footprint, at 24-27C, salinity 1.024-1.026, pH 8.1-8.4, with no copper and slow drip acclimation. Here is the honest problem that catches most buyers: it is so efficient that it strips a typical home sand bed of its micro-fauna within months, then starves slowly and invisibly while buried. It should only be added to a large, established tank, one star at a time, and keepers should be ready to target-feed it small pieces of clam or shrimp buried in the sand. In a nano tank it is effectively a slow-motion loss.

• How active is a Sand Sifting Starfish?

  Low. A calm, unhurried swimmer — peaceful surroundings suit them best.

• How much maintenance does a Sand Sifting Starfish need?

  Attentive tank care. Sensitive to water quality — stay on top of testing and maintenance.

• What tank size does a Sand Sifting Starfish need?

  Nano-tank friendly. Happy in a small, stable, well-filtered tank.

• Is a Sand Sifting Starfish a good fit for first-time owners?

  Some experience helps. A little know-how makes life smoother.

• How long do Sand Sifting Starfish live?

  3–7 years. Plan for a long, loving relationship.

• What health issues affect the Sand Sifting Starfish?

  Keep an eye out for Scale / shell rot, Nutritional deficiency, Parasites. These are worth raising with your vet, along with any screening they recommend.

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