Ophiura and other people that know a lot about stars and reefs!

[fishygurl]

Ok well i decided to make this thread since i would REALLY like to get a starfish in my 125 (i know i would have to wait atleast 6-8 months or more after it gets set up) But I was wondering since i am going to get a mandarin dragonet if their would be any chance of me getting a star, (I think linkia's would be my best bet) but i dont know if there will be enough food for both. I know i am going to have a refugium under their.
So do you think it would have enough food? ( I plan on having about 250-300 pounds of live rock and about 100 or so pounds of live sand plus a refugium)-but i am going to get a mandarin-
If so, What kinds would do best?
How long do they normally live?
If Linkia are any certain colors easier to care for?
Anything else you want to inform me about stars, what they need to survive, or anything go ahead and write it!

 

[ice4ice]

I believe Linkia are extremely delicate and need pristine conditions.

 

[puffer32]

As you know, Linkas need a large tank and lots of rockwork which you already have. Both linkas and mandrins need a well established tank, I would wait about a yr and make sure your water is pristine before you add the linca. A long acclaimation is a must for them also.
You can have both a mandrin and linca in the same tank, they have different feeding requirements. Mandarins eat pods, lincas eat stuff off the rocks which is why the tank must be well established. I have a mandarin, scooter blenny (both are pod eaters) a fuge is a must to breed the pods so the fish don't run out.I also have a blue linka, I have read the orange linka are the easiest to keep, but not sure.

 

[fishygurl]

OMG! what size tank do you have?
I was originally thinking of getting a mandarin and scooter but a lot of people said they wouldnt just to make sure i have enough pods for the mandarin.

 

[bang guy]

I know Ophiura loves to answer this type of question so I'll wait for her.
Meanwhile, if you want to do searches for her previous answers use the search word "Linckia" to get better search results.

 

[natemd]

A brittle star is always a good choice. Brittle stars can also rech impressive sizes. Mine currently is somewhere between 14"-15" for arm tip to arm tip and definatly steals the show in my tank when he comes out of the rocks. Plus he is super easy to care for lol, he just eats whatever food floats down to him. I have never fed him specifically in the 8 months I have had him and he has grown probably 4-5 inches in that time frame.

 

[ninjamini]

My brittle I got as a hitchhiker about 2.5 or so years ago. Never feed him but he does run for food that hits the floor.

 

[natemd]

Yea, when I feed flake food every couple days he just stays in the rocks, but when I put in a meaty mixture he comes flying out of the rocks.

 

[puffer32]

Originally Posted by FishyGurl
OMG! what size tank do you have?
I was originally thinking of getting a mandarin and scooter but a lot of people said they wouldnt just to make sure i have enough pods for the mandarin.
The original poster is going to have 200-250 lbs of LR, I think thats adaquate to keeo a linkia star. I have about 200 lbs of LR, also suffient, but I wouldn't trust less then that. As far as the mandarin and blenny, I have to say I scramble to get enough breeding of pods to keep them happy. My hubby is a LFS and brings them home occasionally from the DT's at work when I see the population thin out. I throw them in my fuge to reproduce. It helps that the scooter eats mysis and cyclopeeze, some will, some won't.