like many hobbyists, i have previously tried linckia stars and starfish from the fromia species with very little success - most staying alive for 1-2 months at best. i gave up on stars and was convinced that a hardy and reef safe 'classic looking' (not a serpent, brittle, etc) starfish didn't exist in this hobby.
a while back i stumbled on a 2 year old thread on here where someone said they found what was being sold as a "common sea star" from an online vendor called kp aquatics (formerly sea life inc) in the keys. i believe it's from the echinaster sentus species. i waited nearly a year for them to come back in stock on their website, and then one day they finally had them, so i ordered a couple, and crossed my fingers. they were only 10 bucks so i figured i didn't have a lot to lose.
after 6 months, i can confirm that kp aquatics "common stars" are an excellent/hardy starfish for those who want the classic looking starfish that won't eat coral and won't be dead in a couple weeks like we so commonly see with linckia's and fromia species. i've heard the common stars are NOT clam safe, so use caution if you house clams.
about my tank - i have a heavily stocked mixed reef, 76g, and they haven't touched anything. no spot feeding them either. my tank's been up and running for 3 or so years, and it's a very high-nutrient system... nitrates 20+ ppm and phosphates at 0.14ppm at the moment.
believe it or not, the first 2 pics below were not staged, they just happened to all be hanging out side by side during a water change (which is why the water is so cloudy)
few more recent shots:
can't say enough good things about kp aquatics - you get your order straight from the source, no middle man, and i have a feeling that's why these starfish do so well... careful acclimation. also, i ordered 2 and they sent me 3! no complaints there... i asked them if it was a mistake and they said no, they just wanted to throw in a freebie. i decided to try some gorgonian's for the first time too, and they are still thriving in my tank, not to mention they were huge pieces for VERY fair prices. i am not affiliated with kp aquatics and i'm not sure if posting links to other vendors is allowed but google them or look them up on facebook and you'll find them. kara, one of the owners, was actually on a few episodes of fish tank kings on nat geo, leading a dive team in the keys. pretty cool!
conclusion: kp aquatics is the best kept secret in reefing, i can't believe they don't get more attention. hopefully that changes and they stick around for the long haul. my ONLY complaints are that i wish there website was easier to navigate, or that they would post more facebook updates, but apparently they're a 2-person operation, who literally does all the diving/collecting, shipping, and customer service themselves. maybe we can look into getting them as a sponsor on here to boost their profile.
a while back i stumbled on a 2 year old thread on here where someone said they found what was being sold as a "common sea star" from an online vendor called kp aquatics (formerly sea life inc) in the keys. i believe it's from the echinaster sentus species. i waited nearly a year for them to come back in stock on their website, and then one day they finally had them, so i ordered a couple, and crossed my fingers. they were only 10 bucks so i figured i didn't have a lot to lose.
after 6 months, i can confirm that kp aquatics "common stars" are an excellent/hardy starfish for those who want the classic looking starfish that won't eat coral and won't be dead in a couple weeks like we so commonly see with linckia's and fromia species. i've heard the common stars are NOT clam safe, so use caution if you house clams.
about my tank - i have a heavily stocked mixed reef, 76g, and they haven't touched anything. no spot feeding them either. my tank's been up and running for 3 or so years, and it's a very high-nutrient system... nitrates 20+ ppm and phosphates at 0.14ppm at the moment.
believe it or not, the first 2 pics below were not staged, they just happened to all be hanging out side by side during a water change (which is why the water is so cloudy)
few more recent shots:
can't say enough good things about kp aquatics - you get your order straight from the source, no middle man, and i have a feeling that's why these starfish do so well... careful acclimation. also, i ordered 2 and they sent me 3! no complaints there... i asked them if it was a mistake and they said no, they just wanted to throw in a freebie. i decided to try some gorgonian's for the first time too, and they are still thriving in my tank, not to mention they were huge pieces for VERY fair prices. i am not affiliated with kp aquatics and i'm not sure if posting links to other vendors is allowed but google them or look them up on facebook and you'll find them. kara, one of the owners, was actually on a few episodes of fish tank kings on nat geo, leading a dive team in the keys. pretty cool!
conclusion: kp aquatics is the best kept secret in reefing, i can't believe they don't get more attention. hopefully that changes and they stick around for the long haul. my ONLY complaints are that i wish there website was easier to navigate, or that they would post more facebook updates, but apparently they're a 2-person operation, who literally does all the diving/collecting, shipping, and customer service themselves. maybe we can look into getting them as a sponsor on here to boost their profile.
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I'm setting up a new tank so it's a long way off from being established, but would love to have a starfish someday.
