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Should starfish hanging out at the top of the tank be a concern?

post #1 of 8
11/16/11 at 12:32pm
Thread Starter 

Title says it all.

 

I've had 2 starfish in my tank for about a month now and they both seem to be doing well. They wander the tank and seem pretty active for starfish but sometimes they like to hang out at the top of the tank with one arm touching the surface of the water. They could be there for days if I don't touch them, and if I do they would sometimes go back to wandering around the tank for a while before eventually returning to the top of the tank.

 

What are your thoughts on this?

 

 

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post #2 of 8
11/16/11 at 12:34pm

Are you feeding them?  What kind of star are you referring to?

 

Beyond that, many stars are intertidal species and will have the tendency to congregate at the water's edge.

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post #3 of 8
11/16/11 at 12:43pm
Thread Starter 

Here's a pic of them from a month ago shortly adding them to the tank... 

 

317592_2578683591051_1373243737_3048995_203014158_n.jpg

 

I was told I could target feed them by using my turkey baster to squirt some brine or mysis under them... I've also hear that its possible that they filter feed but I don't know for sure. I haven't tried giving them pieces of raw shrimp or fish or anything like that yet though.

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post #4 of 8
11/17/11 at 9:52am

The bumpy starfish is almost definitely an intertidal species (may also be temperate), but the other, not so much.  You need to give them pieces of meaty food (not just mysis or BS) and even some nori or fresh macro.  They may be looking for food cuz they're starving.  The bumpy one may even look to your fish if it gets hungry enuff.

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post #5 of 8
11/17/11 at 11:33am
Thread Starter 

So I should probably stop by the supermarket and get a few pieces or raw fish meat or raw shrimp for them?

 

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post #6 of 8
11/17/11 at 12:46pm

That's fine...or if you have any frozen krill, scallops, clam, etc.  they'll love that too.

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post #7 of 8
11/20/11 at 7:58am
Thread Starter 
Hey so yesterday I got some frozen krill. I thawed a piece, cut it in half, and gave each piece to a starfish by sliding it underneathit. After a few minutes the starfish walked off the pieces, seemingly uninterested.

Any suggestions to get them to eat?
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post #8 of 8
11/20/11 at 8:29am

Try another food?

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