Starfish Amputee

[mike31154]

I lost my sandsifting star fish after introducing a White Spotted Hermit Crab. Herminator also ate one of my snails and I suspect a Brittle Starfish as well, since I haven't seen it for some time. I've been keeping an eye on the big hermit and he hasn't devoured any other livestock lately. It could be that the sandsifting star fish was sick or injured before the hermit started picking at it, but it's gone now and I kind of like the big hermit since he actually sifts around in the sand better than the starfish ever did. I have 4 to 5 inches of sand in some areas and the White Spotted Hermit can dig down several inches in no time. I suspect I will have to remove him at some point since he's growing quite large and being an opportunist, will become too destructive.

[tlo]

Sometimes losing a legs can be a sign of stress, they are very sensitive to any changes. What are your water parameters? How did you acclimatize it?
-On a side note, sand sifting stars don't eat detrius, they eat the microfauna in the sand. Unless you have a large tank, they will eat the sandbed clean of these and then starve.