chocolate chip starfish

tank watch

tank watch

Member
Is the chocolate chip starfish really unsafe with coral? I plan to have a sunflower, purple mushroom and many more in time. I read that it is not safe. Does anyone have a choc. chip with their corals?
Thanks...
 
jobob

jobob

Member
yea i had one in the beging i wish i read more before i got one. at first everything was ok then about a month in he ate a blue sponge then green star poplys and then i started noticing, i got rid of them really fast. they never ate fish or crabs, maybe i didnt give enough time ?
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I would be surprised on the fish part...but slower or sessile things like snails, clams, corals, sponges - all natural diet.
 
farslayer

farslayer

Active Member
I've been told about the sleeping fish by a few local folks who caught them with their mandarins and grammas :)
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Be forewarned now that the green brittle/serpentstar Ophiarachna incrassata is a known predator in the wild. It may display this behavior in captivity as well, but is not guaranteed to. Regardless, ALL brittle/serpentstars should, IMO, be spot fed and not left simply to scavenge.
 
texasex

texasex

Member
Ophiura, and anyone else with the extreme knowledge of starfish, what star fish (if any) would be considered the "safest" for a reef tank? I already know many of the "no-no's" (such as the chocolate chip). I am going to be starting a 180 gallon reef tank soon, and I am trying to get as much of the research done in advance as possible! Thanks!
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
A mature 180g reef tank (meaning at least 6 months old and doing very well) is suitable for any of the reef safe stars, including the Blue Linckia. For a Blue Linckia, I would only recommend keeping one for best results (if happy they will reproduce on their own by arm drops). It is potentially possible to keep 2 specimens or so of other reef safe stars with loads of LR in that size tank - including orange, burgandy, purple and other "linckia" stars. Other stars would include Fromia sp. stars.
I would suggest not rushing the addition of any of these stars, and doing a lot of "final" research on what type and how to acclimate them when the time comes. :)
 
texasex

texasex

Member
Thank you for your reply, and I was definintely planning to wait atleast 6 months, especially for something as delicate as a linkia! When I was first starting out, a LFS sold me a blue one, even after I told him my tank was only 3 months old and specifically asked if there were any special requirements for the fella. He said, "Nope, just drop him in." Needless to say, he didn't make it (he was already looking kinda sad at the store) and I have never been back to that store! I wish he was out of business, he has no business selling fish!!! I get better advice from *****! Long story short (too late), thanks for the advice on the stars!!! :D
 
schadiest1

schadiest1

Active Member
i caught my chocolate chip starfish eating my anemone this morning. it was a LTA. so there's another meal you can add to the list of what they eat. Luckily the LTA was only $5 at the LFS.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
An anemone would definitely be on the menu for a chocolate chip star :yes: I really can not emphasize enough that they are not reef safe which means they can and will potentially eat just about anything like that...corals, snails, clams, scallops, and anemones indeed.
 
X

xnikki118x

Guest
I took my buddy's chocolate chip after her tank crashed (skilter shorted out) and he ate each and every one of my mushrooms. He left the gonipora and all my crabs and snails alone, though. I did get rid of him soon after.
 
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