Choclate Chip Starfish Care

[Tennyson]

Hey everyone. I just have a few questions on the care of these guys because I plan on getting a Harlequin Shrimp and need a seperate tank to house these starfish for food. I would have to keep these stars in a seperate tank because they aren't reef safe and I have a bunch of corals in the main tank.

I could either put them in a two gallon tank or a refugium (which I'm replacing my carbon filter with). Could they be placed in a bare bottom tank, or do they prefer sand?

Heres the two gallon tank description:
1. A 6 pound live rock.
2. Heater
3. Airstone for Circulation
4. 15 Watt Light

If this isn't good enough, I could add a very large carbon filter to the tank since I'm replacing it with a refugium. Or I could buy a mini one for it. Or would the stars be ok with no filtration, and a water change once a week?

And what food could I add that they will eat? Silversides?


All replies are appreciated. Thanks

 

[plateboy3293]

Is the two gallon connected to the dt? How many gallons is the fuge?
2 gallons is to small for the stars depending on how many you want to buy. If the 2 gallon was attached to the dt it might be possible. Want don't you buy a 10 gallon? Run water from the 10 gallon to the dt.
http://www.bluezooaquatics.com/prod...=1275&cid=85&gclid=CJTVrf-Rp5MCFR0ZagodZhYAoA
Here's some info on the stars and at the bottom it tells you what they eat( Disregard the tank size). How big is the dt?

 

[Tennyson]

Sorry I don't know what dt is, but I'm guessing its my main tank.

Its 46 gallons.

I don't have the fuge yet, but it will be 2 1/2 gallons or around there. I wouldn't mind keeping the stars in the fuge its just its the going to be the small kind and it will be hard getting them out of it. And don't choclate chip stars eat algea, that would be a problem if it were to be kept in my fuge.

Is the problem with keeping them in a two gallon that it will get dirty quickly? What if some sort of carbon filter was added?

 

[plateboy3293]

Dt stands for display tank or main tank. How many stars do you plan on keeping. I still think a 2 1/2 gallon is to small for the stars. It will just get very dirty. Is the fuge connected to the dt?

 

[Tennyson]

The refugium will be connected to the tank. I am still unsure how many I will be keeping at a time, probably atleast 3 or 4.

 

[plateboy3293]

Can you buy a 10 gallon?

 

[Tennyson]

You mean to keep the starfish in? Yeah, I have a 10 gallon from when I had freshwater. I could set it up. Would I need any filtration in it if theres just going to be stars, or would weekly water changes do the trick?

Thanks

 

[plateboy3293]

You can run the the power filter you used on your freshwater tank.
With some carbon. No sand or live rock would go in the tank. Water changes should be done every other week.

 

[Tennyson]

So are you saying that I shouldnt put live rock or sand if I'm running carbon? Wouldn't it help as filtration though? In going to have them in a 10 gallon, but what would be wrong about having them in a two gallon besides the small size? Would it be the nitrates?

Thanks

 

[weluvfish54]

same thing that would be wrong with putting a person in a cardboard box.
i would never put any living thing besides zoos etc in anything smaller then a 10 gallon!

 

[Tennyson]

Yeah your right, it would be too cramped I guess. So I'll set up the ten gallon, get some and see how it goes. Thanks!

 

[plateboy3293]

The larger choclates like 3 -4 inches are better b/c they can regrow their limbs faster due to the fact that when your older you do less growing.

 

[plateboy3293]

The reason for no sand or live rick is so it is easier to clean the tank.

 

[Tennyson]

So a bare bottom bare nothing tank? just a carbon filter? OK, thanks.

 

[plateboy3293]

yep and every other week water changes

 

[Tennyson]

OK, im setting it up today. I added 4 gallons of my tank water to the tank, and then two gallons of freshwater to balance the salinity out. would this be considered safe water for the stars?

I a m going to add the remaining four gallons tomorow.

thanks

 

[Tennyson]

I set it up and got my first feeder choclate chip starfish. Its happy in its tank of nothing. I fed it a whole silverside, and its eating it. but before it wasn't moving around, do they just sit around where they are? It was also observing this behavior when I bought one of them. If I put a small rock in or something will it start moving and foraging off it?

Thanks

 

[plateboy3293]

The star will start foraging over the rock put it might kill everything on it.
How many have you decided on keeping.

 

[Tennyson]

I think probably 3-4 at minimum, maximum being 6 but I'll probably settle on 5. How often do they need to be fed? I put in a silverside, it ate part of it and got full.

And the star keeps going to the surface and sticking one of its arms out and remains stillfor a long time. Is this normal?

Thanks

 

[plateboy3293]

I feed some stars now about 2 times a week. With one Silverside each.