what seastar is best?

[DebsSisterFlo]

I have a 38g tank, reef with xenia, zoo's, feather dusters, shrooms, tulip anemone, fish, pepp shrimp, scarlet hermies...

I'd really love to add a peaceful and hardy seastar to my tank. I get such mixed opinion that I just don't know what to believe... I've been told blue linkia are very easy, others say they're the most difficult. I've heard that fromia is real easy, yet I read stories of how they don't even survive acclimation.

Do I even have a shot? Thanks

 

[CaveManNOhio]

You could go with a Serpent Star Fish. The brown non spiny type. Feed it silver sides and some other meaty products and they will do fine. IMO
As for the Blue Linkia's I have had mine for over a year now and it is just as healthy today as it was the day I got it. They are fragile though, you don't want to expose them to air or touch them with your bare hands. They have also been known as specialized eaters. I have been told they eat slime algae, and you need a well established system for them. How ever I have seen mine come across prepared frozen foods and sit on it and eat it.

 

[ophiuroid]

You do not have to worry, IMO, about exposure to air or touching with hands, both of which are "wive's tales" I am afraid. A blue Linckia is definitely not suitable for this tank size IMO, needing large systems with loads of LR, which provides their primary diet....but another type of Linckia may be suitable depending on some specifics....

I agree that brittlestars may be suitable.

How much LR do you have? What are your parameters, such as specific gravity?

 

[DebsSisterFlo]

50 lbs live rock, and my gravity is .023

 

[ophiuroid]

IMO, your specific graviy is too low for most stars. Ideally it would be 1.025-1.026. How old is the tank?

As an aside, neither Linckia nor Fromia should be considered "easy" at any point. Any animal that we don't know specifically what it eats is a problem, and any animal that is so exceedingly sensitive to acclimation is a problem as well. Definitely, definitely...not easy in any sense I am afraid.

 

[DebsSisterFlo]

it was set up jan 7th... I have a seahorse yet and I read that it's better if the gravity is a bit lower for them to prevent infections. I have been slowly bringing it up, real slow, the next water change I will bring it up to .024.

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Because of the age of your tank and the newness of your live rock, I think the safest bet for you would be a brittle star.

Many people poo poo brittle stars because they think they hide all day and aren’t pretty. Although my serpent brittle is seldom seen except during feeding time, the other brittles are out all the time. They also come in a variety of colors that would please almost anyone. Above all they are quite hardy and do a good job of cleaning.

Here is a link showing you a variety of brittles. Stay away from the green one.


http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm

 

[ophiuroid]

LOL...the link at the bottom of the WWM page is to my ophiuroid page. I had never noticed before!

I wholeheartedly agree that brittlestars are awesome!!! I wish some of the species shown were more widely available in the hobby but alas, most are not.

 

[Shekki]

I had an Orange Linkia star for a few weeks. It's arms started falling off until it was just a one armed bandit. I've had a green brittle star in my nano for 9 months and it's very happy. It doesn't hide all day and gets really excited when it's feeding time. I have lost a few fish and he may be the culprit. Since I've never seen him in action, I'll have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Right now he shares the 24g cube with a firefish, spotted mandarin, blood shrimp, and peppermint shrimp.

Robb

 

[SumpDiver]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8040372#post8040372 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shekki
Right now he shares the 24g cube with a firefish, spotted mandarin, blood shrimp, and peppermint shrimp.

Robb

Their days are numberd, my friend.

 

[DebsSisterFlo]

well I decided on, and have added (after a 5.5 hour drip acclimation, I took a nap!) a harlequin serpent star from www.sealifeflorida.com. It's a gorgeous little guy whom I'm hoping will take well to my tank.
Should I target feed this star? Frozen silver sides is what I'm thinking, but if someone could confirm or change that idea please do!

 

[ophiuroid]

I think you have made a good choice in that selection. I always recommend spot feeding when possible, although don't count on it coming out of the rocks. Silver sides are good but much too large - I assume you mean a small piece. Consider also krill, shrimp, squid...diversity...even other pellets and flake food (shrimp pellets, some of the other sinking types of pellets, even algae wafers).

 

[DebsSisterFlo]

shrimp pellets and algae wafers... like what I put in my freshwater tank? I have Wardley brand.
I was siphoning the sand today and saw a little leg waving around! So far so good! That star is so neat and I am fascinated watching it. Really glad I researched and waited to find a suitable addition.
Um, is freeze dried krill suitable, or should I try to find frozen krill and squid? I'm sure it would last forever for just that little guy.

 

[DebsSisterFlo]

OMG how cool! I took a half of a shrimp pellet and dropped it a few inches from the star. He was on it before I got my hand out of the tank!!!!!! WOW!

 

[ophiuroid]

Yeah, you can even get that $4 frozen seafood mix from the grocery. It will last forever, though it is a good component of some homemade fish food as well.

 

[Cathy1]

I havent had a seastar but i have heard that the Little Red Seastar does but thats just what i've heard...

 

[Cathy1]

I havent had a seastar but i have heard that the Little Red Seastar does well but thats just what i've heard...

 

[ophiuroid]

The little red seastar, I assume is a Fromia, and it is quite difficult to keep long term except in very large tanks. Don't let the small size fool you! Most I see are dissolving right in the LFS tanks due to acclimation shock.

 

[Ryanqk]

Yeah i had a serpent star and a small red sea star and both are MIA right now i hope they turn up soon!
Ryan

 

[t11t5]

I had a Orange Linkia and it lasted over one year in a 37g tank. I moved it to a 150 and after about 3 months it started to slow down its movement. Then it started losing legs. It died. I would get another one again. Around here they seem to be hard to find. One day I will get one.........