schadiest1
Active Member
I have heard different things about keeping starfish with reef tanks. The "best starfish to keep" is supposed to be a serpent starfish. Do I have any other starfish options for my 75 gal. reef tank?:thinking:
Reef Safe Starfish
- Thread starter schadiest1
- Start date
gold strip
Member
Serpant is the safest and easiest to care for. Brittle is also reef safe but if its a big one it might go after very small fish. Linkia is reef safe but much harder to care for.
I have a knoby that I love. This site says its not reef safe but I have had mine for over a year and have had no trouble at all. From what I have seen, it is an algae eater with habits similar to the linkia only much hardier. I have been waiting on this site to get some more in so I could get another one but looks like I will have to make a return trip to the LFS at Myrtle Beach where I got my first one.
Good luck.
I have a knoby that I love. This site says its not reef safe but I have had mine for over a year and have had no trouble at all. From what I have seen, it is an algae eater with habits similar to the linkia only much hardier. I have been waiting on this site to get some more in so I could get another one but looks like I will have to make a return trip to the LFS at Myrtle Beach where I got my first one.
Good luck.
ophiura
Active Member
Serpents/brittles ---> yes in nearly all tank sizes and without need, specifically, for a reef tank (however certain predators will eat them; the green is a possible predator of small fish; and the bright red large one should go into a mature (6 month) old stable reef tank).
Linckia are good but hard to care for. They ALL require very pristine reef tanks with a lot of LR, since, as mentioned, they can not be spot fed. A blue Linckia, IMO, should not go in a system under 100g minimum.
An orange, burgundy, red or purple might be suitable for smaller tanks (55g-100g) but still need a LOT of LR and it is best to only keep one. They take about a year to starve, so it is hard to tell how they are doing. All need, as mentioned, long acclimations for the most part. Research needs to be done before purchase on this aspect.
For tanks under 55g (to about 29g), only a Linckia multiflora is suitable, IMO.
Linckia are good but hard to care for. They ALL require very pristine reef tanks with a lot of LR, since, as mentioned, they can not be spot fed. A blue Linckia, IMO, should not go in a system under 100g minimum.
An orange, burgundy, red or purple might be suitable for smaller tanks (55g-100g) but still need a LOT of LR and it is best to only keep one. They take about a year to starve, so it is hard to tell how they are doing. All need, as mentioned, long acclimations for the most part. Research needs to be done before purchase on this aspect.
For tanks under 55g (to about 29g), only a Linckia multiflora is suitable, IMO.