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

[Salt_Creep]

I have some Chocolate Chip stars, but they are for the harlequin shrimp =]

 

[runcis]

I've had 2 ophiolepis superba since summer 2017, both can be seen only at night

 

[NanJ]

We have 2 fairly large sand-sifting starfish and a single double-tile. As part of the clean-up crew they serve their purpose well. Ours are all over the tank and makes the tank feel "more natural", ha.

 

[vetteguy53081]

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

yes - two giant (10' ) serpent stars and taking below pics discovered a 5" one in tank

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

They do eat any detritus that are within the sand bed. They also eat any left over food, such as shrimp, that are not eaten by the main fish within the tank.

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

No. Its' important to make sure that there is enough food for them, otherwise they will burrow and begin to decay eventually.

 

[andy1]

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

I have a blue linka that I have in my tank for 10 years and still going strong.

 

[Paul B]

I have thousands of mini brittle stars and a lot of asterina stars. No bigger ones

Ditto

 

[GrapevineReefs]

I have a San Sifting Starfish in my NPS Tank that’s doing great and I have a constantly hungry Harlequin shrimp in one of my Fuges that gets a steady supply of live Chocolate Chip stars to torture... the CC stars are very pretty in their own regard while they are still whole. The act of the shrimp flipping the starfish over always gets a chuckle out of me!

 

[Timfish]

I have lots.

 

[Ravsta]

Had a sand sifter until he started losing parts of his limbs. Each day it got worse. Not sure if the wrasse or the crabs were nipping but it did not survive the trauma. Have not replaced it but contemplating.

Very odd but had a similar issue with a red one that I purchased. Everyday a limb would go missing until he was just a stubb

 

[CavalierReef]

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

I'm not the starfish police, but I'm an experienced starfish killer before I knew better. I've had a red Linckia, a blue Linkia and a New Calidonian over the years. It is extremely difficult (at least for me) to provide adequate nutrition for these animals while maintaining some semblance of a balanced bioload. These were all in mature tanks under 50 gallons. Larger tanks perhaps provide a different story but an immature 4 month old tank of any size would be problematic (for the starfish) IMHO.

 

[scabbedwings616]

My Harlequin shrimp would kill him. In my other tanks, I have a sand sifting one And move it between two tanks.

 

[mauisue]

Just got a large Red Serpent Seastar yesterday. He moved into the mid cave which been the yellow Tang sleeping area and the Tang still Slept with him in the cave however, today The red serpent Seastar moved to the back of the tank pinning himself behind a decore and can clearly see him. Lots of places to hide but that out in the open! How do you feed him, a very long tube???

I know he a CUC however, want to ensure he gets Enough to eat.

 

[C. Eymann]

orthasterias koehleri is a species I have always been interested in, but its apparently not very reef safe.....

 

[GSnake]

I've had problems with every fromia and blue lincjia I've bought in my nano tank... But my new 56g tank currently houses a narrow star and red linckia no problems, and quite a few asterina...maybe the tank size did the trick, or the species

 

[Tired]

I've had problems with every fromia and blue lincjia I've bought in my nano tank... But my new 56g tank currently houses a narrow star and red linckia no problems, and quite a few asterina...maybe the tank size did the trick, or the species

Fromias and linckias can't get enough food in a nano tank. They'll starve. It may take months, depending on how long they've been without proper food before, but they will inevitably starve. You should rehome that linckia, unless you have a tank that's a couple hundred gallons to put it in.

 

[GSnake]

Fromias and linckias can't get enough food in a nano tank. They'll starve. It may take months, depending on how long they've been without proper food before, but they will inevitably starve. You should rehome that linckia, unless you have a tank that's a couple hundred gallons to put it in.

I had heard the orange linckia I have now is manageable vs the blue one I use to have. Those fromias would just melt quickly in my nano. Probably not getting one again. Misspelled narrow star for nardoa star, it's marbled, also have a serpent doing well

 

[Tired]

What are you feeding it? As far as I know, their diet isn't really known, aside from a general knowledge that they graze on the grass and other surfaces. The reason people basically don't successfully keep them is because no one's found an alternative food that they'll eat and reliably survive on. Keep in mind that they can last nearly a year before starving, so it takes several years to really be certain that they're actually doing well.

They're probably also not very good for microfauna diversity. Like sand sifters- which also tend to starve in small tanks, but are a bit easier to keep alive sometimes. If you don't like microfauna in your sand.

 

[LadyMac]

Here’s my little dude.

 

[Lowsingle]

I have two harlequin brittle starfish and a red serpent starfish and tons of micro brittle stars. I enjoy them !

Darren

 

[sp1187]

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

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

3. Do you have any problems keeping a starfish happy and thriving in your aquarium?
The little guy seems to be happy.