Starfish - I know i probably shouldn't.... BUT

[Dkmoo]

30G mature mixed reef with mature sandbed

I've always wanted a starfish (no brittle or serpent) and read a lot about them, and know that they are hard to keep past 6 months even from some of the experienced reefers in this forum, and that my tank is too small. I had even responded to other posts telling other reefers to not get them and their tank is too small.

My LPS now has sand siftings and fromias. I didn't buy them but the itch definitely returned, lol. I had just read that they eat spaghetti worms in the sand? if that's the case, i have a TON of them in the sand. Maybe that's enough to keep one fed? i also have film algae in my glass every day that i scrap off (probably dosing too much phyto). I also don't mind target feeding them later if necessary.

Has anyone had success keeping one alive for more than 6 months? preferably years? If so, what's your secret other than "i have a massive tank"?

Or maybe i just need to be talked out of it again LOL.

Thanks all.

 

[blaxsun]

Nope. All my starfish perish with months, and I have ideal conditions and plenty of food. The only starfish I had a limited degree of success with was one of the white & green serpent ones (brittle I think).

 

[Isopod80]

The sand sifters typically starve relatively quickly in smaller tanks.

 

[anthonygf]

I have a brittle star going on a year now, sand sifter disappeared after a few weeks. My 46 bowfront had for 4 years had a sand sifter for like 3 years but died when one of my powerheads shorted out, fouled the water popped a CB. My Clowns survived and 2 three stripe damsels. Upgraded to 75 last October.

 

[Danroo]

Seems hard but not impossible on this one it doesn’t say you need a huge tank. Its diet has to be in variety. https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+2857+572&pcatid=572

 

[Nicroper]

I am no pro, but there is a brittle starfish that I started with here in my tank and it is doing fine. They had it for several months before I started and I have had it for a year and seven months. So, about two years. I don't have any fish so I just spot feed it once a week with everything else. My tank is a 32 biocube.

 

[N.Sreefer]

Seems hard but not impossible on this one it doesn’t say you need a huge tank. Its diet has to be in variety. https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+2857+572&pcatid=572

If live aquaria is right those get 1 foot in diameter! Def 2 big for a 30g.

 

[PeterB113]

I know people won't like this but I have a sand sifter that's been in my tank for 9 months... 20g long he's definitely grown in size but I also feed alot in my tank.

 

[DaneGer21]

I know you mentioned brittle stars; but I’ve had one for going on 5+yrs. Never fed it intentionally. He just sticks his arms out and catches flakes. He’s huge

 

[eag]

I've always wanted a starfish (no brittle or serpent)

I think the OP does _not_ want brittles or serpents.

I also have this itch from time to time, and I always talk myself out of it not due to diet but due to reef safety.

 

[Dkmoo]

Thank you everyone for your responses!

I know people won't like this but I have a sand sifter that's been in my tank for 9 months... 20g long he's definitely grown in size but I also feed alot in my tank.

wow that's interesting - i feed a ton too and there's a lot of food in the sand - judging by the literal thousands of spaghetti worms i have in the sand. How big was yours when you first got it, and how big is it now?

I know you mentioned brittle stars; but I’ve had one for going on 5+yrs. Never fed it intentionally. He just sticks his arms out and catches flakes. He’s huge

I'm not completely against it - it's just that it absolutely freaks my wife out when i showed them to her. Are there any kinds of brittle/serpents that doesn't look like it came from someone's nightmare lol.. maybe i can get the missus approval for one.

I also have this itch from time to time, and I always talk myself out of it not due to diet but due to reef safety.

I know right? without the support and sanity check of this forum, i probably would have gone down the itch spiral many times.

 

[PeterB113]

Thank you everyone for your responses!

wow that's interesting - i feed a ton too and there's a lot of food in the sand - judging by the literal thousands of spaghetti worms i have in the sand. How big was yours when you first got it, and how big is it now?


I'm not completely against it - it's just that it absolutely freaks my wife out when i showed them to her. Are there any kinds of brittle/serpents that doesn't look like it came from someone's nightmare lol.. maybe i can get the missus approval for one.



I know right? without the support and sanity check of this forum, i probably would have gone down the itch spiral many times.

It was about 2 to 3 inches when I got it and it's definitely gotten bigger. He moves spots a few times a week and I've seen him eat mysis that was on the sandbed

 

[eag]

I'm not completely against it - it's just that it absolutely freaks my wife out when i showed them to her. Are there any kinds of brittle/serpents that doesn't look like it came from someone's nightmare lol.. maybe i can get the missus approval for one.

Haha

FWIW, brittle stars seem to make it pretty well in reef aquariums, particularly the ones that don't grow large. I've got a few of them living in a 5 gallon tank for over one year now with bare bottom and feeding couple times a week.

 

[Danroo]

Haha

FWIW, brittle stars seem to make it pretty well in reef aquariums, particularly the ones that don't grow large. I've got a few of them living in a 5 gallon tank for over one year now with bare bottom and feeding couple times a week.

I’m having a bad experience with my red brittle star it doesn’t eat detritus and has to be hand fed. Cause it doesn’t move from a place at all not even at night. I didn’t hand fed him for few days cause he was lost and when it actually came out his legs were all gone except one and I could see a hole inside of its body still had the energy to eat. Hand fed it and now its recovery.

 

[blaxsun]

For most (emphasis on most) starfish, you’ll be further ahead taking a $10 bill and shredding it in your wavemaker.

 

[DaneGer21]

I’m having a bad experience with my red brittle star it doesn’t eat detritus and has to be hand fed. Cause it doesn’t move from a place at all not even at night. I didn’t hand fed him for few days cause he was lost and when it actually came out his legs were all gone except one and I could see a hole inside of its body still had the energy to eat. Hand fed it and now its recovery.

Mine too does not move from his cave; ever. If it wasn’t for his long arms, I’m sure he would have to go somewhere for food.

 

[eag]

I’m having a bad experience with my red brittle star it doesn’t eat detritus and has to be hand fed. Cause it doesn’t move from a place at all not even at night. I didn’t hand fed him for few days cause he was lost and when it actually came out his legs were all gone except one and I could see a hole inside of its body still had the energy to eat. Hand fed it and now its recovery.

Oh wow yes very bad experience I'm sorry to hear that.

The brittles I have tend to stay in a single hiding place also, and I rarely if ever see them come out ... But I also don't feed them or otherwise directly care for them at all. They came in as hitchhikers. Maybe I got a good species, and/or maybe these are better adapted having come in on live rock from another tank.

 

[DaneGer21]

For most starfish, you’ll be further ahead taking a $10 bill and shredding it in your wavemaker.

False

 

[eag]

Mine too does not move from his cave; ever. If it wasn’t for his long arms, I’m sure he would have to go somewhere for food.

Same, pretty sure they grab food from the column during broadcast

 

[Danroo]

Oh wow yes very bad experience I'm sorry to hear that.

The brittles I have tend to stay in a single hiding place also, and I rarely if ever see them come out ... But I also don't feed them or otherwise directly care for them at all. They came in as hitchhikers. Maybe I got a good species, and/or maybe these are better adapted having come in on live rock from another tank.

Mine came in really small I was trying to avoid to feed it cause they’re suppose to come out in night and clean up detritus. Thinking that he might be eating something but nope it’s always there in a single spot waving its arm when food is being given. I guess mine is just afraid from my hermit crabs cause they’re mostly active at night. Since yesterday I got chopsticks and feed everyone in my tank through it . Except the hermits.