feeding starfish?

[effishient]

I just bought my first starfish... an orange linkia star. I know it eats algae, but do I need to feed it anything else? If so, what do I feed it and how do I feed it?

 

[j-cal]

im fairly certain that they dont eat algae and actually eat slimes sponges and such from your rock. Subsequently, you need a lot of rock to keep them happy. Good Luck,
Justin

 

[ophiura]

Linckia sp stars and relatives can not be spot fed, and require loads of healthy mature LR. A minimum of 100lbs in a 75g tank, 6 months old, with pristine water quality is my minimum for this species. It does not necessarily feed on 'algae' and certainly not nuisance algaes. More likely it feeds on bacterial/algal films, encrusting animals like sponges and bryozoans, and/or the micrograzers found on them. In addition, they suffer from acclimation stress quite commonly, if they did not get a 4+hour acclimation. Can be a tough critter to keep, though the orange is a bit tougher than others. And, if this is a typical size tank (meaning not over 150g), be content with only keeping that star....competition from similar stars is usually fatal for both.

 

[effishient]

I am sad to say I was misled when I bought my starfish, thinking it could eat happily from just the algae growth in my tank. Maybe I sound really dumb (I am fairly new afterall), but I don't have any LR in my tank. It is decorated with a combination of synthetic sand a live sand, as well as a number of fake corals (the kind that look sorta real and are all colorful). Is my orange linkia starfish doomed? Should I find it a new home in one of my LFS's tanks? I have had it for almost a week now and it appears healthy, but I realize starfish die very slowly so I may not be able to tell if its malnourished yet. What should I do?

 

[jonthefb]

that really sucks man....onver time the star will definately perish....i would try to find it a better home etiher back at your lfs(however seeing as they might jsut sell it to and uninformed hobbiest again) you might try your local reef club, or post an ad in the classified section of this message board! Just be sure that when you go to remove teh star you dont touch it, and you dont expose it to aire! try to bag it/package it all underwater!
good luck
jon

 

[ophiura]

So long as the contact or exposure to air is minimal, handling it is not a major concern and is not a cause of death....however, people seem to think it is. I am not quite sure why. I suppose since so many die in the hobby, and so many are invariably handled. But the primary cause of death is osmotic shock from lack of any acclimation. Definitely most suppliers and wholesalers are not going to take the time to do that.
The star is most likely not going to survive without LR, so either a bunch of LR or a new home is in order. Be sure the new owners acclimate the star properly as well, as it is still stressed, in all likelihood, from introduction to a new system. These guys do not take changes well.