question on Feather Stars ( Crinoids ) kipping

[scubabr53]

I just received a present from a friend. He cached a feather starfish wile snorkeling down at Caribbean’s. Knowing my interest in reef keeping he had broad it home in the plastic container. I'de read that Feather Stars ( Crinoids ) were nearly impossible to keep and I am not sure was this a good gesture or not.
I had to take it and give it a chance for survival; otherwise it would a die anyway. My questions are:
Has anyone kept a feather starfish for a wile?
If answer is “YES” than what did you feed it with?
Thanks for any available tips.

 

[Indermark]

I don't know if New York has a public aqarium but what I would do is get in touch with the nearest public aqarium and ask if they will let you donate it. They might be able to provide it with what it needs better than anyone else.

 

[iamwhatiam52]

Why is it that Crinoids can't be kept?

Is it because their needs are difficult to meet, or is it that we simply don't know what it is they require?

 

[romunov]

They need laminar flow and lots of food.

Bad move. :/

 

[Indermark]

They are really creepy looking IMO

 

[ophiuroid]

They require a very very particular particle size of food, and lots and lots of it. They are also quite large.

This was a terribly gift for one. Even professionals - and crinoid experts - have trouble keeping these. It is also not necessarily a legal thing to do unless he had proper permits. I would strongly encourage your friend to enjoy...take only pictures...and as a gift bring back a bottle of rum or something similar.

Unless this is an exceptionally large tank with a very large refugium and lots of reproducing inverts, odds are very low it will survive. Of course many do not survive transport as it stands.

From the book "Seastars, seaurchins and allies" by Pawson, Hendler, Miller and Keir....(a book on species of echinoderms from Florida and the Caribbean)

They capture zooplankton (foraminiferans and actinopods, invertebrate larvae, and small crustaceans), phytoplankton (diatoms and unicellular algae) and particulate matter mostly in the .05 -.40 mm (.002 - .02 inch) in size

Note that many have gut contents that consist nearly entirely of diatoms in the 475 micron size range. They can have very specific diets, from species to species.

Not to mention they are large, nocturnal, etc, etc.

 

[sdiaz1670]

I will probably get yelled at for this, but I have a feather starfish in my seahorse tank. In January will be a year that I have him. I feed 3x a day. Morn. daphnia & cycopleeze. around three zooplankton eve. cyclopleeze with mysis (that is for the fish in there). The seahorses eat live ghost shrimp daily. Also once a week or every other week I feed phytoplankton. About 2xs I noticed a couple of legs from the feathers falling off but that was after I became laxed on the feeding schedule. I simply returned to the schedule and all was well. My feather star has positioned himself on a tree sponge and has not moved from there. He seems happy. Now in the seahorse tank nobody messes with him at all. In addition my tank runs around 76-77. I am not sure if that has any impact whatsoever.

 

[techigirl78]

Do you have a picture of your feather star?

 

[sdiaz1670]

This isn't the best picture but it is the only one I have.

 

[techigirl78]

Thanks for sharing. Those are so interesting, I always see them at a nearby LFS. Due to the reputation I stay clear, but it is good to hear when others have success.

 

[sdiaz1670]

They are alot of work but it is one of my favorite things I have.