sand dollars?

[Grynox]

Ok so this may be a total newbie question but I guess that's what this forum is for (I hope!) :)

After a fairly extensive search, I am curious as to why I can't find much information at all about or on keeping sand dollars in aquariums. And there aren't any online retailers that have them for sale or information about them. Sure you can buy dead sand dollars on eBay or where ever, but there is no where to buy living specimens. Are they completely unsuited to aquarium life? If so, why are they so difficult to keep? I guess I always assumed they were related to urchins which many people keep in aquariums...

So I guess my question is, are there any species of sand dollars that can survive in home aquariums? If not, can anyone provide inforation on why they don't do well in a captive setting? Or if there are some that would work in an aquarium, where are they available for purchase? (Not that I am necessarily buying any, but I am curious about them.)

[Grins]

They are in the same family as urchins, but unlike urchins they aren't recommended for hobbyists because of the amount of food they required buried in the substrate. Something that you're not going to achieve in a healthy tank. If you look on WetWebMedia.com you should find more info though.