Opihura, starfish questions

[sterling]

Opihura, sorry, I'm being lazy. I could do a search but it's just easier to ask you. I'll be setting up my new 250 gallon and I want to put a couple of starfish in it. I have a harlequin star, who I've had for almost 3 years and rarely see, but at any rate I want a couple of other starfish in the new tank with some color. Do blue linkia and orange linkia get along togehter ok? or would they hate each other and/or hurt the harlequin?

 

[sterling]

Ok, I got off the "lazy couch" and did a little investigating and see that blues seem more difficult than oranges and perhaps one of each would be one too many in the tank. So do you think I should just get an orange one and see how it goes??
The tank itself is new, but I'll be transferring all my rock and corals and fish over to the new tank, along with new rock. I will also be seeding with my sandbase that I have. Do you think that even though it's a "new" tank, but has very well established LR/sand/corals that I would be able to add the linkia sooner than later into the tank once it has cycled and the fish etc are doing well? In other words can I consider it an "established" new tank??

 

[murph145]

im no star fish expert but i have a blue linkia a serpent and some other fromia type im guessing star ...
keys to star fish....
lots of rock work!
well established tank with established live rock growing sponges and other live micro organisms....
acclimate very slowly up to 3 hours on drip....
blue linkias are very temperamental and can die easily after acclimation
oranges are easier...
they both like to eat stuff of of LR make sure to have about 100lbs of LR per each linkia to graze upon....
i have about 125lbs in my tank the blue i have now had for about 6-8 months the serpent almost 3 years and the other fromia type for about 6-8 months also

 

[ophiura]

Sterling, if you are getting a 250, how much LR?
If like 200lbs or so, then maybe try a blue. Yes, they are more difficult at time to get a good specimen to acclimate. And I never really recommend stars, LOL, but if any tank will be suitable....definitely let it mature etc.
I am a big fan of letting these guys reproduce on their own, personally. That is the best way to add another, and something to really be proud of! So in a tank your size it will come down to personal preference, I think. You will at least, IMO, be able to provide something appropriate for any - though that is a relative thing to say.
THere shouldn't be too much trouble with the other star...is it a Linckia multiflora? I am not sure of the common name and don't quite remember. They are not overly aggressive towards each other - they just eat the same food. In a large enough tank it should be a huge issue.
But keep in mind that around 18 months is the "success" point. They all take about a year to starve. Its hard to know before then how things are going. The risk with two of these stars in smaller tanks, be it Linckia or Fromia or Echinaster, etc, is that they will compete for food. That can make things difficult.

 

[sterling]

OK, so I think I'll just try one orange linkia for now. I'll have at least 200 lbs of LR in the new tank, about 120 lbs of that will be the rock I have had in my 125 that will be transferred over. But I'll still wait a few months to get the star. I'm going to look up what the scientific name is on the harlequin that I have and let you know.
Thanks all for the advice.

 

[sterling]

The one I have a beleive is some sort of brittle star. Large central disk, about the size of a half dollar, long skinny legs, and it's black and white. If I could find it I'd take a picture, but every once in a while if I move something for cleaning it goes scrambling away.

 

[reefreak29]

linkias are very cool , i would drip acclimate very slow for 6 hrs and be very carfull when doing water changes to get the salinity and temp as close as possible with your tank , the slightest change can be dentrimental (imo)