Feeding my basket star
- Thread starter sterling
- Start date
bang guy
Moderator
I believe most Basket Stars only eat Zooplankton. Adding Phyto will certainly help by adding to the Zoo population but they need a LOT of zoo. If you can't see larvae, 'pods, etc swimming around all the time in the water column then the Basket is going to slowly starve.
Really cool animals but almost impossible to maintain.
Really cool animals but almost impossible to maintain.
fmarini
Member
Hi:
Guy is right, these are zooplankton feeders. Here is a great article by rob toonen which explains what is primarily in their gut --in the wild >90% of the gut contents are tiny planktonic copepods significantly less than 1 mm in length.
frank
Guy is right, these are zooplankton feeders. Here is a great article by rob toonen which explains what is primarily in their gut --in the wild >90% of the gut contents are tiny planktonic copepods significantly less than 1 mm in length.
frank
sterling
Member
I'm not offended that no one knows me. I'm famous in my house 
I was told at the LFS that he was a basket star, and the guy I deal with is pretty knowledgeable. They only had two come in and one of the other guys that works there grabbed the other one and took it home.
It looks almost more like a plant crossed with a small octopus sometimes. It's legs/arms, whatever, go off and have little curly arms coming off of them, like little branches every where. Does that sound like a Basket or Feather Star.
Zooplanton? Well, off I go again.
but to be honest, he's been grabbing the brine shrimp, mysis, and Prime Reef and it gets hauled down and disappears. Am I killing him with this stuff?
His one leg/arm that was missing seems to be growing back already also.
I was told at the LFS that he was a basket star, and the guy I deal with is pretty knowledgeable. They only had two come in and one of the other guys that works there grabbed the other one and took it home.It looks almost more like a plant crossed with a small octopus sometimes. It's legs/arms, whatever, go off and have little curly arms coming off of them, like little branches every where. Does that sound like a Basket or Feather Star.
Zooplanton? Well, off I go again.
but to be honest, he's been grabbing the brine shrimp, mysis, and Prime Reef and it gets hauled down and disappears. Am I killing him with this stuff?
His one leg/arm that was missing seems to be growing back already also.
sterling
Member
Wrassecal, my basket star is still hanging in there. I only see him at night, so it's the only time he gets to eat, that kind of bothers me. I've been using a turkey baster to direct food into his arms. He takes it just fine. Been using "Emerald Entree", brine shrimp and "prime Reef". Good luck with yours. How big is yours. Mine when he extends his arms, is about 5 inch diameter.
sterling
Member
Debi, the actual disk of his body is only the size of a nickle, but when he extends his arms, then it's about 5 inch diameter.
Frank, thanks for your interest in him. I really hope I can make it work for him. he seems to have found himself a spot on top of some LR that he likes.
I did a partial water change today and all my parameters are good. I added some Reef Vital DNA and Iodine and my calcium and alk levels are all good too.
Frank, thanks for your interest in him. I really hope I can make it work for him. he seems to have found himself a spot on top of some LR that he likes.
I did a partial water change today and all my parameters are good. I added some Reef Vital DNA and Iodine and my calcium and alk levels are all good too.