Building my 56 gallon Column reef tank

monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
As expected, the xenia are perking back up. SO far so good in the tank. I will test for ammonia again tonight before their feeding time to make sure that the ammonia is going down.
It looks like I have to go to the LFS after I get the little one from school. This should be fun. 2 little ones causing havok in the LFS, wee! I think I will get another turbo and 2 pepps while I am there.
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
well, that was an experience. At first the LFS told me that they could take the star but not offer any kind of store credit for it. I was flabbergasted to say the least. I asked to speak to the LFS salesman that I always deal with and waited for him to come out. When he came out, he asked what we were going to do with the star. I said that there is no way he is coming back home with me. He asked what happened and I explained that he had eaten the orchid as well as probably the PFF. He jokingly asked if the star was healthy and I replied that it should be after 2 $40 meals. he then talked to his boss about what could be done for me. I ended up getting $35 credit for the star and we placed orders for blue zoas and blue ricordias as well as an orchid.
What really struck me as odd is when I first entered into the store, one of the employees had told me that the yellow ones can be agressive. IF she was there when my wife purchased this thing, she wouldnt have bought it. Oh well, i left with a peppermint shrimp and a weeks wait for more goodies.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
That is why you must always do your research before you go to the LFS......I also learned that the hard way with a raccoon butterfly and a copperband way back when
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339062
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339058
Meowzer..I just noticed..You are a moderator???
LOL...and you spelled my name wrong...and I was able to fix it

Btldreef is too......
My computer keeps skipping letters..LOL can you fixtat?... This was typed: LOL, can you fix that. That jumbled mess is what I deal with all the time. It won't space, it drops letters and my posts don't show up half the time.
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339044
That is why you must always do your research before you go to the LFS......I also learned that the hard way with a raccoon butterfly and a copperband way back when
I was under the impression that all bristle stars would be the same. Aparently they arent. sue the newbee for making a newbee mistake.
I am looking forward to next week saturday (**** thats xmas) when I can pick up the blue zoas and blue ricordia. The orchid should make the little one happy. Dont know what we are going to do with the PFF.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
LOL...Nobody is sueing anyone.....I also made some of the same mistakes.....if it had not been for me finding this site....who knows what kind of mess I would have had on my hands
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
I would have rather not spent the $35 on the star had we known it would have eaten $80 in fish. And what really sucks is that one of those fish is hard to come by now and has risen in price. Argh!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
This whole ordeal you've just been through really stinks :-(
I've stayed away from brittle and serpent stars in my tank partially due to this. The only stars I've ever kept, other than the four million asterina stars, are sand sifting starfish.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339278
This whole ordeal you've just been through really stinks :-(
I've stayed away from brittle and serpent stars in my tank partially due to this. The only stars I've ever kept, other than the four million asterina stars, are sand sifting starfish.

GGGRRR…I hate when my post don’t post!
I have heard the horror stories about green/yellowish brittle stars, but never anything on serpent stars..

I ask because I always thought serpent stars were safe.
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
So, let me ask this then. What kind of starfish can I have in my tank? Will a choco chip star be ok in my tank? What about that orange/red one that was in the photo contest?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339334
So, let me ask this then. What kind of starfish can I have in my tank? Will a choco chip star be ok in my tank? What about that orange/red one that was in the photo contest?

Those are not reef safe stars.
A froma is a nice little sea star but it needs a very, very mature tank and yours has not been established long enough. all the stars need mature tanks except the serpent and brittles.
I have never ever had any problems with serpent stars. They move like an octopus, really cool to watch on the rare occasions they come out. A small chunk of raw shrimp once a month put out in the open after lights out under moonlights...and they will come out and put on a show.
EDIT: the red knobby starfish is in my book as not reef safe, but I have had them in my reef without a problem before... so maybe when they get bigger
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
If you start off with a small serpent star, you should be okay. Again, a hungry larger serpent may go after a fish, but it's much less likely than when you have a brittle. I'm not a fan of either, just saying.
Sand sifting starfish are debatable. Meowzer and I have both successfully kept them without any ill effects. Linkia starfish as well would be fine. Red Knobby's are debateable as well. CC Starfish are usually not reef safe and tend to eat soft corals.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I have a green serpent, and 2 black brittles in my 225G...along with a sandsifting star and an orange lickia...BUT my tank is 2 1/2 years old...I don't worry about my live fish, and I never worry about something having to be cleaned up either

I would not recommend any star BUT maybe a small serpent in a newer tank....As btld said....the choc chip is NOT reef safe....altho I had one....LOL...and it never touched any of my corals, BUT I still got rid of it...JIC....
I also have 1 black brittle in the 29g and 1 in the 54g.....no issues there either...
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339411
If you start off with a small serpent star, you should be okay. Again, a hungry larger serpent may go after a fish, but it's much less likely than when you have a brittle. I'm not a fan of either, just saying.
Sand sifting starfish are debatable. Meowzer and I have both successfully kept them without any ill effects. Linkia starfish as well would be fine. Red Knobby's are debateable as well. CC Starfish are usually not reef safe and tend to eat soft corals.
My wife wanted one of these and there was a reason why we couldnt have it in our tank. Refresh my memory why the blue linkia is bad for my tank again.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339422
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/380344/building-my-56-gallon-column-reef-tank/620#post_3339411
If you start off with a small serpent star, you should be okay. Again, a hungry larger serpent may go after a fish, but it's much less likely than when you have a brittle. I'm not a fan of either, just saying.
Sand sifting starfish are debatable. Meowzer and I have both successfully kept them without any ill effects. Linkia starfish as well would be fine. Red Knobby's are debateable as well. CC Starfish are usually not reef safe and tend to eat soft corals.
My wife wanted one of these and there was a reason why we couldnt have it in our tank. Refresh my memory why the blue linkia is bad for my tank again.
This is attempt number 4....

The Linkia starfish need a very mature tank and near perfect water conditions because it is very sensitive to any changes and whatever it eats, a new tank just doesn't have enough and it starves.
 
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