Ophiura-Need Permission..

me-n-my-fish

me-n-my-fish

Member
I have been wanting a Blue linka for years now. I have built my new tank system around it and a Flame Angle (one day!!).
What i have
Main Tank and Equipment:
100 Gal
about 150 lbs of live rock
3 inch DSB in display tank
Tank is feed with a Mag 9.5 from the sump, and 2 Little Giant 2's on a closed loop.
Lighting:
1 250 watt 20k MH in middle
2 175 watt 10K for the ends
2 Antic 03 VHO's
Sump:
30 Gal sump
Natuils Skimmer
20 Gal 'fuge with cheato and carlupa (sp)
10 lbs lr
4" DSB
Pods and the like all over the place
Water is near to perfect (IMEO). I only use RO/DI
Am: 0
NitrIte: 0
NitrAte: Trace
Salinty: 1.023
ph: 8.4
temp: 81-82
Tank has been up and stable now and over the cycle for about 7 mths. Everything is thriving in it.
Fishies:
yellow tail blue tang
mated pair of clowns
4 chromis
Inverts:
about 120 narriss (sp) snails
20 Turbos
CBS
Queen Conch
Corals:
Red Monti Cap
Bubble
Varity of zoos
Closed Brain
Xenia
'shrooms out the wazzo
Candy Cane frag
Padoga Cup
Tongue
SSSooooo, can i have a blue linka? I want it to be happy, and you would know. Plz feel free to tell me to wait, or change this or that.
Thanks
 
nm reef

nm reef

Active Member
I'm not Ophiura...and I can't really comment on the chances of a blue linkia being a suitable choice. But...I have a system very close to yours and for a long time i wanted a colorful star ...one that could catch the eye and still be hardy enough to thrive in my system. I picked a orange fromia....about 7-8 months ago and it is still doing great. Susan (Ophiura) is the resident pro on stars and I'm confident she'll comment on the blue linkia.....'till then check out my fromia...

 
me-n-my-fish

me-n-my-fish

Member
NICE!!! Thanks NM!
I really want a star. But i want it to be happy and make it in my tank. Is this star "hardy-er" than a blue linka?
I have never saw one like that. I will def to some reading on it. I would like the color in my tank.
BTW, is that a really small star, or a really HUGE clam?
...off to read on a orange fromia...
thanks again!!
 
nm reef

nm reef

Active Member
lol....the starfish is reported to be hardier than the linkias.....or thats my understanding. Mine is about the size of a half dollar....so consider the clam large....but my derasa is larger.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Originally Posted by JacknJill
well i know one thing she will say. you need to get your sg to 1.026 for a linkia


That's exactly what I was going to say.

You know, I really don't like to give "permission" on Linckia stars...or any of their relatives. We just don't know precisely what they need. IMO, your tank probably meets the minimum to even consider a blue Linckia. But is it enough long term? I don't know. If you bump up the salinity, its at the minimum.
Other types of Linckia may be better suited for the system.
The Fromia that NM shows is one that the jury is still out on I think. It is hard to keep track of people and their stars for over a year. And we don't really have a clue how they are doing until at least a year has passed, and others are now saying about 18 months. They take 8 or more months to starve, so you can see the problem.
Be very carefuly where you buy any of these stars from. IMO, if you buy from an LFS with specific gravity in the 1.019 to 1.023 range, I wouldn't even bother. I reckon they are in rough shape. If they keep them higher, or you can get it without having to go through an LFS that would be good, however it is also nice to see different stars so you can be sure there are no parasites, etc. Always tough.
 
me-n-my-fish

me-n-my-fish

Member
Thanks! I said "permisson", but it was more like "hey, what ya think?"
Looks like i need to bump my sal up. I work every hard to keep my params rock steady, so this will have to take place over the next coupla water changes.
I my tank is only the at the min for a blue linka, then i probley will not get one, as much as i want to. I could live in a RV at a minimum, but would be happier in somthing bigger. I guess he will have to wait until the next upgrade in size.
To tell ya the truth, i am kinda leaning towards NM's orange Fromia. The only problem is, when i search google, all i get is links trying to see me one. Any good reading out there on these?
Is they anything i can look at in my system that would say, "yep, because of this, he's gonna die" or is it just a gamble with his life? As in no way to really tell until its to late? For example, i know that if i want to get "fishie #1", i will need to have this and this and this. And if i have this problem, fishie is not gonna make it.
Sorry if i sound out of it. Still early and working on my caffine buzz yet

Thanks for everyones help. I just want to have everything worked out before i get a star!
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
No worries. It is highly commendable that you are doing this research and that you take such slow and steady care of your tank
and

NM Fromia - probably Fromia milleporella. Though there are quite a few Fromia out there and even many specialists have trouble distinguishing them. COnsider it like a Linckia, especially as it pertains to acclimation. Most I see at the LFs are "melting" from acclimation shock :(
The diet of these guys is also unknown, and they also take a year, maybe more, to starve. It is reported to feed primarily on encrusting sponges, but the jury is still out, as it is with most other similar stars. So I can't tell you how it is relative to a blue, I am afraid...probably hit or miss in any tanks, a la Xenia. Some tanks they will be fine in (or at least certain individuals in certain tanks) and others they will not survive in.
If it is any consolation, you are not in the boat, as many are, where I would say "your tank is really not suitable at all." It just happens that your tank falls into a potentially marginal state
Doesn't help much, does it? I reckon if you can find a healthy one - and be sure the LFS has specific gravity around 1.025-1.026, give it a go. Don't put other similar stars in with it (competition) and give it around 18 months before claiming success with it, which I hope you will have! And I hope you will remind me of it in around 18 months!!!!
 
elvictre

elvictre

Member
I don't want to intrude on the experts, but I can say I have a 75 gal tank with 160lbs of LR. I have my Blue Linka for over a year now and it's doing great. It actually eats frozen mysis and frozen brine. I feed it a frozin cube that I run under RO water to take most of the ice out of it and I hold it next to him until he climbs over it. Like I said I don't want to speak over the experts, just trying to help.
Vic
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I am glad to hear that you have a star that will take to spot feeding. Did it do this from the start? The reason that I don't rely on this is because rather few of these will take to spot feeding, and so it is best to try and provide the proper environment rather than hope you get one of the more adaptable specimens. But I am very glad to hear that you have one that does this.

As an aside, there would be no "experts" around if there weren't lots of hobbyists who share their experiences so that the bigger picture can develop. :joy:
 
elvictre

elvictre

Member
Actually ophiura it started spot feeding by accident and I kept it up from there. I dropped a couple of frozen cubes in the tank and one went right over to my overflow and landed right next to the star. He moved over it right away and since then I can feed him directly. I haven't thought much of it, I figured all linkas would do it.
Here is a pic of my guy. That's coraline on the glass, he has no spots.
Vic
 
dmitry

dmitry

Member
Ophiura: since Blue Linkias are so tough to take care of...what Stars would you recommend for an average Reef aquarium??
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I would need many, many more specifics...age, parameters, size, LR, inhabitants, goals, etc. There is no average, I'm afraid
 
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