Blue Linckia

[lisalev]

Hello !
I just got a blue linckia. I've read that they're kind of difficult to keep, but wanted to try one. He's been cruising the tank since I put him in, but I'm wondering if I will need to feed him, and if so, what. Some people say that you can feed them small shrimp, although most say they just eat algae. Does anyone know if they would eat seaweed? Thanks!

 

[renogaw]

the whole reason people find them hard to keep alive is no one knows what they eat...
hopefully you have over 100lbs of rock and your tank is at least a year old...

 

[spanko]

I think that is the problem with keeping them. The hobby does not know what exactly to feed them to have the thrive in our tanks.
"Linckia laevigata (Linnaeus 1758), Linckia, Linckia... Seastar. Blue and greenish ones in Fiji. Also found in other colors, brown, tans, violet to burgundy, even mottled... And there are other species of the genus offered to the trade. This animal is very (95+ % IME) often doomed from the retailer to aquarists... having suffered too much damage and neglect in the process of collection, holding, shipping... Look for damage and avoid such obviously poor specimens. In the wild this is an algae, bacteria, detritus feeder... that needs space (hundreds of gallons) and mulm (muck, dirt, call it what you will, on the bottom of its system to survive. My advice, look to other genera, species of seastars. "

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Lisalev
http:///forum/post/2462565
Hello !
I just got a blue linckia. I've read that they're kind of difficult to keep, but wanted to try one. He's been cruising the tank since I put him in, but I'm wondering if I will need to feed him, and if so, what. Some people say that you can feed them small shrimp, although most say they just eat algae. Does anyone know if they would eat seaweed? Thanks!
Welcome to the boards!! Linckias can be kept, but they do not eat prepared foods. They feed off of the rock. This is why they do require 100+lbs of very mature rock.