Good reef-safe (& hardy) Starfish?

[flamehawkfish]

hi All

I'm thinking about adding a couple of starfish to my 95g SPS/LPS mix-reef tank (w' a few fish- pair of maroon clowns, damsel, 4-line wrasse, flamehawk, two mandarins, & purple tang).

What do you recommend? I know that some starfish can be delicate. Others can be predatory.

What type of Starfish is totally 'reef-safe', fairly hardy, and beautiful?

Please let me know.

Flamehawk.

 

[mscarpena]

None. Most are very hard to keep that are reef safe. Also a 95 gallon tank is not large enough for a few. Maybe one.

 

[chitownclown]

harliquin serpent stars are hardy and do a good job of eating anything that they can. Not your fish or other inverts though. I have 4 in a 29 gallon biocube and feed that tank heavy and always see them eating the food that hits the sand.

 

[mscarpena]

serpents are not actually "real" starfish, but I agree. If you want a starfish looking critter there are some real nice red or orange ones. They are probably your best bet. I have tried a few stars in my day because my wife and kids love them, but they always die. Part of it is they have to be drip acclimated for hours. Most distributors and LFS will not spend them time. Also it takes months for them to die from this some times.

 

[finsurgeon]

I agree on the Harlequin Serpent - I've had several for a few years, though they are not out and visible often. The most visible are the "Elegant Brittle star" = Ophiomastix variabilis, which lives up on rocks and drapes over, not under the rocks/corals. It's black with pulsating yellow bands as it moves. You could have both. http://www.tomscaribbean.com/Invert...Harlequin-Serpent-Star-Fish/product_info.html and http://vibrantsea.net/brittle16_bunaken1.htm You might try the "Red Knobby Star" as a more traditional star, but a little harder to keep. Questions arise from some as to whether "reef-safe" or not, but I've had a few over the years and they are safe - Liveaquaria says may grow out of "safe" category, but mine lived for a year or more without changing for the worse in my mixed reef. http://cgi.ebay.com/1-saltwater-red...temQQimsxZ20100219?IMSfp=TL100219121006r28708 The orange linkia and linkia multiflora also are true seastars and a little more likely to survive than blue or any fromia.

 

[finsurgeon]

And don't get any "chip" star or especially the Red General - They're killers.

 

[Nerd1717]

serpents are not actually "real" starfish, but I agree. If you want a starfish looking critter there are some real nice red or orange ones. They are probably your best bet. I have tried a few stars in my day because my wife and kids love them, but they always die. Part of it is they have to be drip acclimated for hours. Most distributors and LFS will not spend them time. Also it takes months for them to die from this some times.

How long is hours? like 2 or 5?