aesthetic, reef safe, easy to keep starfish?

[Hotrod32487]

Is there such a thing? I like the chocolate chips, but they eat corals. Linkias are really pretty and colorful, but i was informed they dont last long. Serpents dont have the "Starfish" look im looking for so am i all out of options for starfish that look somewhat like starfish?

[edawgm]

Well there is still one option if you have a sand bed. Get a sandsifting star. they won't bother any corals, sifts through your sand and are just cool to watch them sink into the sand bed. Not really that coolerfull but cool.

[Hotrod32487]

I completely forgot about them. That is a really good idea though. Ill have to figure out if i would even have enough sand bed to sustain one though... Any other types out there im just missing?

[edawgm]

Well my sand bed is only about 2 to 3 inch deep (depth depends on where my maroon clown has played :wacko). I have a 75g with 80#s of sand and two stars. They stay active move sink move sink. It’s cool to because they leave their star imprint in the sand where they have been.

[Ram_Puppy]

Well my sand bed is only about 2 to 3 inch deep (depth depends on where my maroon clown has played ). I have a 75g with 80#s of sand and two stars. They stay active move sink move sink. It’s cool to because they leave their star imprint in the sand where they have been.


how long? the true test is whether this behavior is sustainable. starfish shring as they re-absorb thier tissues, so you may not even notice if they are not getting enough food.

As far as linkia's go, here's the trick.

observe them carefully, if there is any damage to them, or they do not appear healthy in any way - pass.

why linkia's have a bad rep -
1) dealers and wholesalers don't acclimate them properly - for that matter, many of us don't either. acclimation (drip acclimation over hours time is key to success)
2) Linkia feed on algal and bacterial film on your glass and rocks... if your tank is young, or ultra clean, a linkia will simply starve.

they are not impossible to keep, and they are beautiful... I think you should reconsider one if your tank is nice and mature, and i would say over 50 gallons.

[blueboy]

sandsifters will decimate your sandbed, or so i've heard. i would not get one if you have many pod predators. what about a fromia star? they are available in several beutiful colors, and they're smaller than linkias( i like smaller creatures). i had one in my 120 for about a year, but then he wasted away. up till then he was a model resident. i had assumed they were general scavengers(never safe to assume in this hobby!), but since mine wasted i've been looking for specific diet info. if anyone knows, please chime in! i would really like to have another, but i just can't take on a creature that i don't feel confident will flourish(mistakes have been made, lessons have been learned!).

[blueboy]

i actually just searched again on wetwebmedia, and found some info. listed as totally "reef safe", diet of film aglae, and sedentary microfauna. like other seastars, be sure and drip acclimate very slowly(usually recommended 4-6 hrs).

[captexas]

Yeah, I've heard that touching them with your bare hands is a big no-no. I had a sand sifting star when I first got into the hobby and wasn't too crazy about it. I love starfish and tried one or two after that, but they never made it past a few days/weeks so I decided it best to stop killing them. I was looking at the fromia's as well the last time I researched them.

[erikharrison]

I've had great luck with the multiflora linkia


THE SIX FINGERED MAN!


We had an orange linkia and a red knobbed star and had no issues. Fed them a half shelled clam and placed the over it. Never ate anything the shouldnt have. Just kep it fed and it shouldn't nip!

[Hotrod32487]

I might try a linkia then. Wouldnt though until after i switch over to RO/DI water. Let me know what yall think though... I have a 55 gallon tank been around for about a year and a month (started out as a 30 and moved it all into the 55 at Christmas). Theres a lot of flow so there isnt much algae besides on the glass because i havent setup my skimmer yet since i switched. Linkias seem pretty big so ive wondered if a 55 would be big enough for them

[reeferRob]

I have a double star that I really like which is smaller in size, bothers nothing and moves all over the place, ppls eyes are drawn rght to it "ohhh look at the starfish" :D

[Hotrod32487]

reeferRob i just checked out a double star on liveaquaria and it looks like exactly what i want. Where did you get yours?

[Ram_Puppy]

double starfish? pics? linkage? never heard of this one. :)

[Hotrod32487]

http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1467&N=0

[Ram_Puppy]

very nice.

[reeferRob]

reeferRob i just checked out a double star on liveaquaria and it looks like exactly what i want. Where did you get yours?

I bought it at a little fish store in WACO, The place was small and had very little SW livestock and I swore I wouldn't make that trip again but I did find this star and it was onlt $17 :D

[MikeP]

I've had a green Linckia multiflora for about 4 years now. Sadly I've killed or had dissapear a 'purple' linckia (actually Tamaria sp. ) and a small fromia. Inspect for any tears in the body and any irregular spots as a bacterial infection will quickly doom them. Also most linckia and fromia stars are very susceptible to salinity changes so I would plan on a 4 - 5 hour or longer slow drip accilmation at the least and don't expose the starfish to air when placing them in the tank.

[captexas]

That's another good rule to follow I had forgotten about Mike - the not exposing them to the air when moving into the tank. If I remember correctly, if they get air in them they can't expel it.

[Ram_Puppy]

starfish, worms, sponges don't like the o2 without the H! :)

[erick]

don't expose the starfish to air when placing them in the tank.

Thats what I thought! I read in an earlier post that you put them on styrofoam and float it in the tank, let the linkia crwal into the water itself..... That would mean exposure to air... Right?

I have always heard not to touch them with your hands nor expose them to air... Along with a lengthy drip acclimation process.....

[MikeP]

don't expose the starfish to air when placing them in the tank.

Thats what I thought! I read in an earlier post that you put them on styrofoam and float it in the tank, let the linkia crwal into the water itself..... That would mean exposure to air... Right?

I have always heard not to touch them with your hands nor expose them to air... Along with a lengthy drip acclimation process.....

I'm sure there are people who will chime in they pulled their blue linckia out of the bag and tossed him in the tank like a frisbee and he's a century old yadda yadda yadda. Generally though linckia are one star I would baby as far as acclimating and the no air thing. Starfish have a complex hydraulic motion method called the ambulacral system that can have issues when air gets in it. There are intertidal species but linckias are true reef dwellers if I am not mistaken and react poorly to salinity, pressure and temperature changes for whatever reason.

[Hotrod32487]

That seems like a task, drip acclimating the starfish without it touching air...and on top of that not being able to touch it with my hands! Sounds fun!!!