starfish
- Thread starter Joshua I.
- Start date
ALmost none are safe with corals and one (the green serpent star) is not safe with fish; the ones that are safe with corals eat something quite exotic and require a lot of rockwork and a very stable mature tank. The only safe one for a new tank is the common grey/black brittle star, and even so you have to be sure they get enough to eat and that the water alkalinity stays right in the good zone around 8.3.
Mature 200 gallon tank with a lot of rockwork and fish that won't pick on it are one way...some such claim to have sustained one of the pretty red or blue types for over 5 years. But in general starfish are troublesome in many ways, and are always dying or doing something in.
billdogg
Well-known member
I have several Serpent Stars a couple of which are at least 10 years old. They are, at least IME, completely harmless scavengers that love to come out at feeding time. By far some of my most favorite inverts.
The Star that pretty much no one should buy is the "sand sifting star" They will do well for a few weeks, as they decimate the fauna of your sandbed. They will then slowly starve to death over 3-6 months.
As for a clam, you really need to wait awhile (you say your tank is "pretty new") so that you can get the hang of keeping your parameters stable. I would suggest that a year or so is about right. They can also be very demanding as far as lighting is concerned. You pretty much need to be SPS/LPS capable.
The Star that pretty much no one should buy is the "sand sifting star" They will do well for a few weeks, as they decimate the fauna of your sandbed. They will then slowly starve to death over 3-6 months.
As for a clam, you really need to wait awhile (you say your tank is "pretty new") so that you can get the hang of keeping your parameters stable. I would suggest that a year or so is about right. They can also be very demanding as far as lighting is concerned. You pretty much need to be SPS/LPS capable.
jason2459
Well-known member
I'm still loving my "common" starfish from KP Aquatics. They are both growing.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2460978
Just took this photo after posting the above
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2460978
Just took this photo after posting the above
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I would avoid clams just because a 55gal is really not wide enough for a full-sized clam, especially with rockwork.
As far as making your tank shine, once you get it going, the corals will grow out and start covering your rocks, and you can have a neat variety of fish in a 55. Even though a lot of what we get in this hobby are baby fish, they do grow into decent sized fish that will look proportionally correct in a 55 (i.e. a 3-6 inch adult fish will look like it belongs in a 55 gallon and it will look fairly large in the tank).
As far as making your tank shine, once you get it going, the corals will grow out and start covering your rocks, and you can have a neat variety of fish in a 55. Even though a lot of what we get in this hobby are baby fish, they do grow into decent sized fish that will look proportionally correct in a 55 (i.e. a 3-6 inch adult fish will look like it belongs in a 55 gallon and it will look fairly large in the tank).
jason2459
Well-known member
They will eat corals.
jason2459
Well-known member
Here's my other one trying to make it across the sand. Sometimes the flow skips them across like a hover craft.I'm still loving my "common" starfish from KP Aquatics. They are both growing.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2460978
Just took this photo after posting the above
jason2459
Well-known member
The bi color angel? Dwarf angels are hit and miss as are all dwarf angels. I also have a coral beauty and a flame angel. Eventually I want to get a bellus angel pair which are reef safe but are not dwarf angels.
All mine have been fine so far but I also feed A LOT. I think that helps.
