STARFISH: How many of you have a starfish in your reef?

[Vette67]

I have 2 serpent stars. I tried putting in a sand sifter a while back, it buried itself and then I never saw it again. Might still be there for all I know. But I’m not holding my breath...

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

I have a few hitchhiker brittle starfish that are reasonably small. Used to have a massive serpent starfish until it passed from the toxins of dinoflagellates.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I had a large red serpent for years until my tank move. I have tons of microbrittle stars as I am sure everyone does. I try to keep control of the "asterina" if I can. I have also had a green predatory star that ate a fair few fish before I found it.
I have kept choc chip starfish, but not long after it ate my corals. It was for a harlequin that did not like it.
I have wanted to try others, but never felt I could feed them right.

 

[josephxsxn]

1. Do you have a starfish in your reef aquarium and if so what kind?
Serpent Seastar

2. Do you think there is an advantage to having a starfish in your tank?
Cleans up food not eaten by fish for sure

3. Do you have any problems keeping a starfish happy and thriving in your aquarium?
None, kept in a 40 gal frag tank for over a year before moving to 167gal.


Not counting the tiny white ones

 

[kartrsu]

Was thinking about adding a red linckia. Anyone have experience with them in a 4 month old tank?

 

[Tired]

I feel like this needs two sections. Brittle and serpent stars are easy enough to keep, but most "classic" starfish are either not-reef-safe or nearly impossible to keep alive.

(Keep in mind, they can take over a year to starve. It's not a success until you've had it for several years.)

I have two species of micro brittles. When I get a larger tank eventually, l'll probably get a big serpent star. Maybe one of the ones with all the long, fancy projections on the legs.

 

[Tired]

Was thinking about adding a red linckia. Anyone have experience with them in a 4 month old tank?

Linckias starve in all but massive (multiple hundreds of gallons) tanks, and do poorly even in some of those. They need a huge, heavily established system. They're one of the animals that should really be left in the ocean.

 

[kartrsu]

Linckias starve in all but massive (multiple hundreds of gallons) tanks, and do poorly even in some of those. They need a huge, heavily established system. They're one of the animals that should really be left in the ocean.

Thanks! Microbrittles look pretty cool, but will they get picked off by a wrasse, royal gramma, tangs?

 

[PicassoClown04]

Is it maybe an Echinaster spinulosus (Small Spine Seastar)?

Who knows? Found him in some shallow (2-3 feet deep) seagrass flats while collecting shrimp. Southwestern Florida

 

[Bcheek]

Thanks! Microbrittles look pretty cool, but will they get picked off by a wrasse, royal gramma, tangs?

I've seen my wrasse going after micro brittles, but they multiply pretty quickly especially in a fuge

 

[dbowman5]

i voted one and other
i have a banded serpent in my display tank. in my refugium i put 3 red brittlestars, i now have a bunch of them. also hitchhiking starfish: white ones,maybe an inch tip to tip, asterinas, of various arm configurations,
all of them seem to be finding enough to eat and do not seem to have any problems except getting too close to wave pumps. i agree that the ones i have are in a different class than the big predator ones.

 

[Anihiel1]

I have a 'common starfish' for ?? 1 1/2 years? I do supplement feed with softened chunks from Rods predator blend. Also have a brittle star but only ever see his legs...

 

[725196]

1. Do you have a starfish in your reef aquarium and if so what kind?
Yes, bristle star and mini bristle stars

2. Do you think there is an advantage to having a starfish in your tank?
Yes great part of the CUC.

3. Do you have any problems keeping a starfish happy and thriving in your aquarium?
No, they all seem to be doing well.

 

[Biglew11]

2 serpent stars, 100s asterena, and 100s of mini brittle stars.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I have a 'common starfish' for ?? 1 1/2 years? I do supplement feed with softened chunks from Rods predator blend. Also have a brittle star but only ever see his legs...

That's an Echinaster spinulosus, common or small spine seastar. I would love to try one of these in the future, I've got some sources for them as well.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I've never owned a real seastar (class Asteroidia), but have kept several serpent and brittle stars (class Ophiuroidea) over the years. They are very cool cryptic animals and wonderful additions to the CUC. There are a couple of true star species I've been eyeing recently, one of which being Echinaster spinulosus from the gulf coast. Anecdotally they do pretty well in aquariums and seem to feed on decaying food and plant matter.
Keep the beautiful stars coming guys!

 

[rcrutherford44]

I picked this guy up at our LFS, but I don't remember what it's called.

 

[Wolf89]

I have a real starfish! I collected it myself so I’m unsure of the species but he is a joy to have! It’s been 8 months now and he still looks really good.

Thats a forbes sea star. IVe found them here in NC. Doesn't eat coral?

 

[nastronaut]

To me the ocean and a reef "setting" just seems incomplete without a starfish. But how many of us are actually housing one in our reef tanks? Let's talk about it today!

1. Do you have a starfish in your reef aquarium and if so what kind?

2. Do you think there is an advantage to having a starfish in your tank?

3. Do you have any problems keeping a starfish happy and thriving in your aquarium?


image via @Paul87

Just have a mini brittle star I scored for free hosting in an empty conch shell. Well now 2~ of them.

Scored some asterina too but they're ded.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Thats a forbes sea star. IVe found them here in NC. Doesn't eat coral?

Nope, completely safe