In the Blue Linckia Club

[livinlifeinBKK]

H

I just call him an orange starfish

He's beautiful...if I were to guess by the pictures he looks more like an Echinaster...maybe Echinaster luzonicus. They're very variable in color and some have 6 arms so I'm just making an educated guess based on the pic

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

He's absolutely beautiful but if I were to guess by the picture he looks more like an Echinaster species...maybe Echinaster luzonicus. They're very variable in color and some even have 6 arms. Here's a pic.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Sorry for the double post

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

@Lavey29 it really doesn't matter what species...he's beautiful and I'd love to have him in my tank! That's another reason I went for a blue one...they're easiest to identify at species level

 

[Lavey29]

He's absolutely beautiful but if I were to guess by the picture he looks more like an Echinaster species...maybe Echinaster luzonicus. They're very variable in color and some even have 6 arms. Here's a pic.

Thanks, he just keeps cruising along and seems happy with his environment

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

One day I'd love to write a short book about trying to maintain starfish and other difficult marine species since I plan to keep going. It would be so nice to dispell rumors with no basis and just tell about my experience with them WITH a methodology and plan for success whether it works or fails you can learn. I think that would make a pretty cool book.

 

[WheatToast]

Here's something I found a while back that may be of interest if you plan on keeping Linckia laevigata with other species. I know this sea star is one of the most difficult organisms to house in captivity... but man, having to use that tupperware too?!:

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Here's something I found a while back that may be of interest if you plan on keeping Linckia laevigata with other species. I know this sea star is one of the most difficult organisms to house in captivity... but man, having to use that tupperware too?!:

Before I watch it, why not place it in an isolation box and place food next to it? Does he do something different?

 

[WheatToast]

Before I watch it, why not place it in an isolation box and place food next to it? Does he do something different?

Maybe that could work, though I am not sure how the sea star would "feel" about getting picked up all the time.
I also admit that only keeping fish and invertebrates that are relatively straightforward in feeding (at the moment) has made me become a little ignorant about feeding in aquariums overall.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Maybe that could work, though I am not sure how the sea star would "feel" about getting picked up all the time.
I also admit that only keeping fish and invertebrates that are relatively straightforward in feeding (at the moment) has made me become a little ignorant about feeding in aquariums overall.

I've never seen anyone need to use a separate container...I have a good bit of experience feeding starfish specifically and an isolation box is the most I've ever needed

 

[Lavey29]

Before I watch it, why not place it in an isolation box and place food next to it? Does he do something different?

I really think the key to long term survival is ample biofilm in the tank. I dose phytoplankton daily and it creates biofilm on my glass and rocks and I think this is why mine keeps on going even though it's not the species you are discussing here. I think this applies to any starfish in reef aquaria except sand sifters.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I really think the key to long term survival is ample biofilm in the tank. I dose phytoplankton daily and it creates biofilm on my glass and rocks and I think this is why mine keeps on going even though it's not the species you are discussing here. I think this applies to any starfish in reef aquaria.

You're growing film algae though and not mature biofilm which takes months to become mature. It's also successional and very easily changes composition based on environmental factors. Unless you have a herbivorous starfish it just can't live exclusively on film algae

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I

I really think the key to long term survival is ample biofilm in the tank. I dose phytoplankton daily and it creates biofilm on my glass and rocks and I think this is why mine keeps on going even though it's not the species you are discussing here. I think this applies to any starfish in reef aquaria except sand sifters.

If I'm correct about your species, it's an omnivore so it probably gets most nutrition from film algae and the rest it probably scavenges

 

[Lavey29]

You're growing film algae though and not mature biofilm which takes months to become mature. It's also successional and very easily changes composition based on environmental factors. Unless you have a herbivorous starfish it just can't live exclusively on film algae

Oh I'm sure he scavenges other stuff too like left over frozen on the bottom but honestly everytime I see him he appears to be eating film algae on rocks or glass.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Oh I'm sure he scavenges other stuff too like left over frozen on the bottom but honestly everytime I see him he appears to be eating film algae on rocks or glass.

If I'm right about the species that would make sense...he might be able to survive on only film algae...kinda like humans can be vegan. Most starfish can't though

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I really do love doing things like this in my free time like last year I did a study with a separate starfish species. For those of you who don't know, it really went well and I was planning to post my results and conclusion as an article here but I had a printed publication offering to pay me for it vs them wanting to offer me nothing here so I think you know what I chose...I'd do the same with this one but they don't even answer my DMs so I'll offer it to a magazine again

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but my blue linckia regularly eats the asterina stars (eats at least 1 every 2-3 days) in my tank, along with biofilm on the rockwork, and some orange encrusting sponge growing on some of my liverock. It's grown probably 1" in diameter since I brought it home back in March. I bought it from a batch that had been fresh imported from @DetroitReefClub and it has thrived since. They brought in a batch of about 20 or so and they all arrived in perfect shape (none melted, and all were active and grazing in their huge coral tanks).

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but my blue linckia regularly eats the asterina stars (eats at least 1 every 2-3 days) in my tank, along with biofilm on the rockwork, and some orange encrusting sponge growing on some of my liverock. It's grown probably 1" in diameter since I brought it home back in March. I bought it from a batch that had been fresh imported from @DetroitReefClub and it has thrived since. They brought in a batch of about 20 or so and they all arrived in perfect shape (none melted, and all were active and grazing in their huge coral tanks).

They e been known to eat certain asterina species and will scavenge sometimes

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

It's just not their primary food source so likely doesn't meet all their nutritional requirements

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but my blue linckia regularly eats the asterina stars (eats at least 1 every 2-3 days) in my tank, along with biofilm on the rockwork, and some orange encrusting sponge growing on some of my liverock.

Great pic!

Yeah, they’re thought to feed on biofilm in the wild, but they’ve been documented as eating sponges and “Asterina” (technically Aquilonastra) stars by a few different folks now (more evidence is always appreciated), with some speculating that their Aquilonastra populations allow their Linckias to survive for multiple years.