Sand Dollars?

[newfish]

I was back home in Atlantic Beach NC, and happened to come across a washed up sand dollar and it got me thinking how cool it would be to have one in my tank.

Would a sand dollar make it in a saltwater tank. Can you buy sand dollars from LFS, or online somewhere that are suited for Aquariums. Would the type of substrate matter?

 

Just wondering.

THanks

Josh

Edited May 16, 2008 by newfish

[smarsh97]

I don't think it's a good idea. I got one in my shipment of live sand from TBS. It lasted for about 2 months in the 180 then died. Just not enough for it to eat I assume. It was a really cool critter but I wish I didn't have it in my tank. I wish that it were still in the ocean.

 

Sandy

[BeltwayBandit]

From what I understand they will decimate your sandbed critters. Smarsh's experience is typical. They will live for a few months and then when they have exhausted the food supply in your sandbed they die. They just eat more than your sandbed can produce.

[smarsh97]

yeah I felt so bad. It was a really neat critter. I would have never bought one. I was shocked when I saw that guy in the bag of sand. I didn't think it was alive until it burried itself in the sand in my tank. I threw it in just in case. It never really went any deeper than about 1 inch in the sand. When the lights would come on it would rise to just below the surface. I now know how they eat, I always wondered that, but I didn't want to find out this way. I did find out also that they are related to urchins.

 

Sandy