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

Starfish in your reef aquarium?

  • Yes I currently have one

    Votes: 334 41.3%
  • No starfish for me

    Votes: 227 28.1%
  • I have problems keeping them alive

    Votes: 84 10.4%
  • I plan to add one in the future

    Votes: 162 20.0%
  • other..

    Votes: 54 6.7%

  • Total voters
    809

reef

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
11
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have thousands
 

Attachments

  • starfish.jpg
    starfish.jpg
    93.6 KB · Views: 89

Alex Cataldo

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 25, 2020
Messages
311
Reaction score
143
Location
Verona, Wisconsin
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have had a brittle star (about 3 inches across) for a while now but I haven’t seen it in a while. If its still alive it must only come out at night as it’s probably hiding in a crevice. I do have some small white stars, (not the pest kind) that are out all the time. Stars do well in my bare bottom without sand so keep that in mind. So if your tank is mature and a clean sand bed or no sand bed, then you should have no issues.
 

Fragzilla

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 29, 2016
Messages
309
Reaction score
233
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1. Do you have a starfish in your reef aquarium and if so what kind?

I’ve been keeping a red serpent starfish In my tank for 6 years now, it’s name is Fred

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

Yes of course, the one I have is a voracious cleaner. He clears up any dropped pellets and takes care if anything that’s died without my knowledge. He moves at such a phenomenal pace around the tank, not slow and sluggish like normal starfish are.

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

Me, no I actually am quite surprised that mines still there as happy as Larry after buying him some 6 years ago (I’ve not thought about how old he is until I saw this thread). I know people that struggle with them but they were using a lot of GAK and that pulls all the iron out the water and they need the iron, without it the red fades to pink and the arms start shortening until it’s dead.
 

Ricky_Reef

Diamond Goby Lover/Hater
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2018
Messages
87
Reaction score
97
Location
Lacombe
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I keep about 3 or 4 chocolate chip stars in my sump for my harlequin shrimp, they usually go through one every week or so.
 

Miller535

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 11, 2019
Messages
2,203
Reaction score
1,937
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have never attempted to keep anything other then brittle stars and serpent stars, with that said, I have never went without having a few in about 10 years in the hobby.

The more ornamental ones like linkia and fromia have always scared me off so I have never tried. I do not like the idea of buying an animal and not knowing what it eats or that I can provide that food.
 

Jeff Kohlmann

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 28, 2018
Messages
29
Reaction score
24
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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
WNBw9ZS.jpg
I had one back in the '70's. He was no problem at all
 

Raider0622

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 17, 2020
Messages
49
Reaction score
21
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
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.
BE4BFF21-87CF-4EC3-83E4-3AAAD77D0082.jpeg
83E19F35-FEAC-4390-B524-4D150918C92C.jpeg
Looks kind of like a common star from Florida to me. I have one with four legs (named Quatro). The pictures are pretty cruddy (it made the water look green) and my tanks in need of a top off but I don't have any others right now.
 

Attachments

  • 20210105_160957.jpg
    20210105_160957.jpg
    123.9 KB · Views: 57
  • 20210105_160914.jpg
    20210105_160914.jpg
    117.8 KB · Views: 33
  • 20210105_160945.jpg
    20210105_160945.jpg
    116.8 KB · Views: 78

footgal

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 4, 2020
Messages
6,505
Reaction score
11,007
Location
Houston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Looks kind of like a common star from Florida to me. I have one with four legs (named Quatro). The pictures are pretty cruddy (it made the water look green) and my tanks in need of a top off but I don't have any others right now.
He’s super cute! Looks like the same guy to me. I took this one home because it has four legs which is why one of them is a little messed up. I hope Quatro does well with you!!
 

DaddyFish

“5 percenter”
View Badges
Joined
May 6, 2020
Messages
1,238
Reaction score
1,717
Location
Dallas NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had two Chocolate Chip stars in separate tanks. Then today, right after casting my vote here, one Sandsifting star miraculously reappeared! So now I have three (again)!
 

Raider0622

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 17, 2020
Messages
49
Reaction score
21
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
He’s super cute! Looks like the same guy to me. I took this one home because it has four legs which is why one of them is a little messed up. I hope Quatro does well with you!!
Thanks. He's been doing pretty good. About every other week I put him in a cup with some mysis to feed him and he's been great
 

Lenett

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 19, 2020
Messages
109
Reaction score
28
Location
The Woodlands
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had red sea starfish for 24 h. Unfortunately it decayed on small parts. When I was buying the starfish, all starfish had a missing parts, so I thought , maybe they got damage during transportation- naive me.. Will I try to get a starfish again?- Yes, but from a diferent store..
Sorry! I hate it when my animals dont make it! I thought mine was dead at first and tried to remove multiple days. Scooped him out from under the sand and put in a bowl under the water. He started climbing out! So put him back. Made me very happy! Just stays under the sand most of the time. I've had green brittles before for years. They are neat too! Try again!
 

RJKain-777

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 19, 2019
Messages
807
Reaction score
1,736
Location
Calgary
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had a blue linkia a few years back , it did amazing. Sold all my live stock when I moved to a friend and it’s still alive.
I plan on adding one again to my new system once it’s “established” more, and maybe a fromia star as well.
Sand sifters are a no go for me, I head they decimate your pod population and with wanted a pair of Mandarins, that want over takes the need for a sand sifting star.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 37.0%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 34.1%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 24 13.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 15.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top