30g Hawaiian Reef Stocking

[Annahra]

I feed mine. I've had 2 of them for for over 5 years. sometimes I don't see them for awhile but when I do i will give it some table shrimp soaked in selcon. I do the same with my large brittle star.

How big is your tank though? Mature sand bed when you got them? These guys just have a really poor record of depleting sand beds in smaller aquaria and dying.

 

[Bdog4u2]

How big is your tank though? Mature sand bed when you got them? These guys just have a really poor record of depleting sand beds in smaller aquaria and dying.

One is in a 14 gallon biocube the other in a 150 gallon.
As long as you feed them they will live

 

[Bdog4u2]

the Sand Sifting Sea Star should be actively fed a varied diet consisting of natural food sources, especially in well-established marine aquariums. Otherwise, this voracious feeder will quickly clean your aquarium of detritus and then burrow into your substrate, starve, and eventually begin to decay.
That's from liveaquaria. if you just let them be then yeah they will starve but if you feed them they will thrive but you should start feeding them soon as get them or they might hide and starve if it's a new sand bed.

 

[Annahra]

Saltwater aquariums are all about playing the odds. I'd say you've won the lottery with a true sand sifting star living five years in a 14g. Not trying to take away from your success--it's just pretty far outside of how these guys normally fare.

 

[Bdog4u2]

Saltwater aquariums are all about playing the odds. I'd say you've won the lottery with a true sand sifting star living five years in a 14g. Not trying to take away from your success--it's just pretty far outside of how these guys normally fare.

If you take care of your animals they'll live. I have a 16 year old yellow tang and a 13 year coral beauty and a 17 year old pitbull

 

[Warthur]

Update on current stock:
1 golden dwarf moray
7 Halloween hermits

I'm going to end up putting in a fourline wrasse and 1 or 2 Vanderbilt damselfish. If I don't go with the damsels I'm going to go with a fishers angel

 

[Warthur]

 

[eatbreakfast]

Update on current stock:
1 golden dwarf moray
7 Halloween hermits

I'm going to end up putting in a fourline wrasse and 1 or 2 Vanderbilt damselfish. If I don't go with the damsels I'm going to go with a fishers angel

Fishers angels get bigger than cherub angels. I would recommend against one for a 30g.

 

[Mikedawg]

Update on current stock:
1 golden dwarf moray
7 Halloween hermits

I'm going to end up putting in a fourline wrasse and 1 or 2 Vanderbilt damselfish. If I don't go with the damsels I'm going to go with a fishers angel

Like the four line wrasse choice; colorful and interesting behaviors. After he has been fully acclimated, you may be in a better position to decide on additional fish, if any, to add.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Like the four line wrasse choice; colorful and interesting behaviors. After he has been fully acclimated, you may be in a better position to decide on additional fish, if any, to add.

But it will limit potential fish, as they can be territorial and aggressive toward peaceful fish added after them.

 

[Mikedawg]

But it will limit potential fish, as they can be territorial and aggressive toward peaceful fish added after them.

Agree and I think the selection is already limited by tank size.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Agree and I think the selection is already limited by tank size.

Correct, but adding a 4line in limits stocking even further.

 

[Mikedawg]

Correct, but adding a 4line in limits stocking even further.

What would you recommend for something(s) interesting and colorful?

 

[eatbreakfast]

What would you recommend for something(s) interesting and colorful?

Some options I would consider would include:
Jactator puffer
Agilis chromis
Midget chromis
Scarface blenny
Firefish
Curious wormfish
Longnose hawkfish
Bluestripe pipefish
Leaf scorpionfish

 

[Mikedawg]

Some options I would consider would include:
Jactator puffer
Agilis chromis
Midget chromis
Scarface blenny
Firefish
Curious wormfish
Longnose hawkfish
Bluestripe pipefish
Leaf scorpionfish

Thanks, longnose hawks are one of my favorites and would provide a good "contrast" to the eel.
Not to try and take over thread, just to provide more options for all of us to learn about.

 

[Warthur]

Thanks for all the input guys. The fourline will be the last fish added when it goes in. I'm likely going to go with the 2 vanderbilts, a fourline and the eel that I have plus the cuc