Orange Brittle Star & Blue Linckia Star

Reef Happy

New member
I understand that some stars will not mix with others. Does anyone know if the Orange Brittle star and Blue Linckia star are compatiable?
 
Doug, just a "heads up" blue linkias do not survive in captivity. At most, a few months. If you want a linkia, go with a purple or orange.

P.
 
I have a Blue already. I didnt know they didnt live long. Thanks. Will the blue purple and orange mix with the brittle stars?
 
they will mix.

The blues will get smaller and slowly disintegrate. They must require a food not in our systems. I kep one for 5mo, timV did a little better, Pamelas died I believe....Hopefully you will do better than we managed. Its a pity since they are really beautiful.

Paul.
 
Doug...Heads up Number 2.

brittle stars will catch fish as they get larger. Certainly the green ones will. They raise their basal disk above the sand into a crevice in the rocks then use the bristles on the legs as a net to catch unwary fish.

They are not a problem when small, but may become so as they get older and larger.

I had a green brittle that would eat firefish and chromis when they went into rocks. Ive had a red brittle star that was easily 12 inches or more when I gave it to Steve, and it was truly huge when he passed it along.

I would recommend you get a serpent star. They are not predatory (well, not as much as)...

Paul.
 
Doug, the easiest, and most hardy Linckia is the multiflora if you can find one. I have one somewhere in my fuge. I had to relocate it down there when I got a harlequin to clean up a asternia problem. They are really cool looking with red spots etc. Here is a pic. I have read they are hard to come by, and I have only seen one in person which is mine.

http://www.astherlau.com/Photo Album/Jarak 15Jan05/slides/Linckia multiflora.html

I'll second that the green brittles are nothing but a terror!!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8862614#post8862614 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pwhitby
Doug, just a "heads up" blue linkias do not survive in captivity. At most, a few months. If you want a linkia, go with a purple or orange.

P.

Hi, I just thought I'd let you know that I've had a Blue Linkia in my 125 gallon tank for 11 months now. It is still just as large and healthy looking as the day I got it. I'm no expert on the matter (probably just lucky), but I think a key to being successful with these guys is having lots of surface area for them to graze. Here's a picture of mine taken this month...and yes you are seeing things correctly...it has SIX legs.

DSC03442.jpg
 
nice tank!! what about the marble serpents?? i have one and a few of my fish ( only sand sifting goby's ) have come up missing. i cant pin it on him but i have been suspicious. any coments??
 
Six legs on a linkia. Very odd, but cool. Hope mine lives that long. My linkia is a pretty good size one to begin with.
I have often wondered what the most common star people are keeping in their reef tanks. Everyone needs color and that is what I like about the blue stars.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8865249#post8865249 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by D.G.
Six legs on a linkia. Very odd, but cool. Hope mine lives that long. My linkia is a pretty good size one to begin with.
I have often wondered what the most common star people are keeping in their reef tanks. Everyone needs color and that is what I like about the blue stars.

LOL, yeah. A that runs a local online store brought it to me at our club's meeting (I bought it along with a group buy). He smirked and said "Check this guy out!" The thing was huge...and had 6 legs. I asked him where it came from and the joke that day was that I got the one Blue Linkia that survived Chernobyl.
 
Everything I've read on them agree with Paul W's first statement, they are not getting the appropriate foods in our aquariums. Not alot of research done on the little guys as of yet so I mark them in the list along with Moorish Idols and other similarly hard to keep alive species. But not to say it isn't possible, after all, different people get different live rock and all sorts of stuf to go along with, may get lucky and have what they like to eat.
 
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