RED BALI STAR hitchhiking

[kalied20]

I came home from work today and found this.......thought I should share. He stayed up there for about an hour or more while the snail moved every where. some of the algea was gone when he dismounted. That was interesting considering no one really know what they eat regularly.

 

[ginarox]

that is a very cool looking picture...thanks for sharing ...have a great night...

 

[hot883]

Kalied20, my LFS has 3 of them for $25 each. I really like them but know nothing on them. Hopefully Ophuira will see this thread. She's great.

 

[rykna]

Wow!!!what a find!!!! Looks kinda like a marbled star.

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by Rykna
Wow!!!what a find!!!! Looks kinda like a marbled star.

reef safe or not?

 

[rykna]

The marbled yes, although they are very finicky eaters and are very hard to keep full. I had one but i didn't have enough vegitation at the time to support the star. I'm not sure if the red bali star is the same spiecies. :notsure:Red Sea Star aaaaaaaha here it is:
(Fromia milleporella)
Quick Stats
Care Level: Moderate
Tank Conditions: 72-78°F; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4; dKH 8-12
Max. Size In Aquarium: Up to 5"
Color Form: Black, Red
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: Yes
Diet: Omnivore
Origin: Indonesia
Family: Ophidiasteridae
The Red Sea Star, or Red Starfish, of the genus Fromia may be various shades of red. It has multiple black pores (dots) on its surface. The tips of the arms are the same or a lighter color than the rest of the arm, differentiating it from Fromia indica.
It generally lives alone, but if the aquarium is large enough to support more than one, it will tolerate others of its own species. It requires a mature tank with algae and is generally fairly self-sufficient in the aquarium, finding enough micro-organisms and detritus to scavenge if live rock is present. It is diurnal.
The Red Sea Star is very intolerant of sudden changes in oxygen levels, salinity and pH of the water, and cannot tolerate copper-based medications. The drip acclimation method is highly recommended for all Sea Stars due to their intolerability to changes in water chemistry. It should never be exposed to air while handling.
The Red Sea Star is extremely difficult to breed in an aquarium, with no distinguishing characteristics to help differentiate it from its mate.
If there is insufficient algae growth in the aquarium, the diet should be supplemented with flaked foods, and small pieces of fish or mussel.

 

[hot883]

Thanks for the informative post. I was thinking too that it was a "Fromia sp"

 

[rykna]

No problem

 

[kalied20]

Originally Posted by hot883
Kalied20, my LFS has 3 of them for $25 each. I really like them but know nothing on them. Hopefully Ophuira will see this thread. She's great.
I got my about 5 months ago for my girl. She had to have some bright color in the tank. I love the thing. I seems to eat algae for about a day then rest in the light for about three of four. Then it takes off again and goes around the whole tank again. It is pretty cool to watch.

WOW $25 bucks.....I think I paid 12.99 for this one.

 

[swlover]

I have the same one..mine is loosing legs, anyone know why?

He may have been exposed to air at some point, not by me, I always use a cup to get stars out after acclimation. I have had him for about 2 months, first week he lost a leg, then 3-4 weeks later two more fell off. He has two legs left, but I see nubs growing back and he is very active, color is bright. I'm hoping he will be ok, lots of LR for him and I have some hair algae, I see him often on the Macro grape algae, don't know if he's eating it or just lying on it. Good luck with him, I know I need some luck myself..or some answers/help.

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by swlover
I have the same one..mine is loosing legs, anyone know why?

He may have been exposed to air at some point, not by me, I always use a cup to get stars out after acclimation. I have had him for about 2 months, first week he lost a leg, then 3-4 weeks later two more fell off. He has two legs left, but I see nubs growing back and he is very active, color is bright. I'm hoping he will be ok, lots of LR for him and I have some hair algae, I see him often on the Macro grape algae, don't know if he's eating it or just lying on it. Good luck with him, I know I need some luck myself..or some answers/help.
I have not heard that exposing them to air is bad for them.
Also, don't they propagate by splitting themselves? The "fallen off" leg now becomes a new star? Correct me if I am wrong please.

 

[rykna]

The "specialists"

have warned me about exposing stars to air, but if you take a good look at tide pools guess what is in them and exposed to air. Sea stars....and I have lost count of the pictures I have seen in National Geographics of sea stars hanging, crawling, on exposed reefs. So unless those little guys were wearing water suits I think that solves that.
Ofcourse I think the reason the lfs warns us about that is that a sea star is one of the few things in your tank that you can hold, and it is very tempting to take them out carry them around....which would be a terrible idea. That is how sea stars become decorations. They are laid out in the sun to dry. So they do need to be keep in the tank, and picking them up is stressful to the animal most likely the cause of death if an aimal is picked up often, but I 99.9% sure that the exposure to air is not going to kill them.

 

[swlover]

Originally Posted by hot883
I have not heard that exposing them to air is bad for them.
Also, don't they propagate by splitting themselves? The "fallen off" leg now becomes a new star? Correct me if I am wrong please.
Humm, maybe he is trying to split? Ya know, the legs go missing, I have not seen them lying around or being picked at by fish..so who knows. He is funny looking without his legs! Thanks for that info guys.