starfish and coral rock ?
- Thread starter kistler
- Start date
clarkiiclo
Active Member
What kind of star do you have?
ophiura
Active Member
It is really important to know what kind of star you have. Some seastars must have large mature reef tanks with lots of live rock....they can not be spot fed and generally starve. Some can be but are not suitable for reef tanks....it is really important for you to describe it or look for pictures or take one. Maybe look under inverts on this site and see if there is something similar.
ophiura
Active Member
This star is a sand sifter, and will prefer at a maximum crushed coral. larger gravel is tricky...it should spend time burried in the substrate. Unfortunately, in many if not most cases, this star is doomed in your size tank. They eat the beneficial critters in a sand bed, and then tend to slowly starve in 9-12 months. Sometimes they may take to eating larger meaty foods, but unfortunately this does not always happen...or people don't know to take special care in trying to feed them. So you might want to give that a go.
FYI: These guys typically die by a classic disintegration...bits of arms and then whole arms start to fall off. Many people think it is some predation or something, but this is typically their normal "method" of dying.
FYI: These guys typically die by a classic disintegration...bits of arms and then whole arms start to fall off. Many people think it is some predation or something, but this is typically their normal "method" of dying.
ophiura
Active Member
Well, the critters may not really feed on the phytoplankton, they may feed on actual detritus...not to say that the phytoplankton won't end up there eventually. Still, it is difficult, even in heavily fed tanks, for the critters to out reproduce the predator in this case. I would seriously consider trying to feed the star directly...you really don't want to sacrifice the animals that it is eating if you have a sand bed. A lot of those critters are more beneficial than the star itself at keeping things clean.
kistler
Member
What could I get that the star will eat?
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Feed him directly or leave this food where he normally goes?
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I was told that phytoplankton was still good to use not only for the star but just for the tank?
I was told like 2 teaspoons every 2 weeks for the phytoplankton?
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I do appreciate you talking to me, I don’t want you to think I am challenging you, i am like the jury for my star, I got to make the good decision.
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Feed him directly or leave this food where he normally goes?
-
I was told that phytoplankton was still good to use not only for the star but just for the tank?
I was told like 2 teaspoons every 2 weeks for the phytoplankton?
-
I do appreciate you talking to me, I don’t want you to think I am challenging you, i am like the jury for my star, I got to make the good decision.
ophiura
Active Member
Not a problem at all! Questions are always welcome 
I would try and take a wooden/bamboo skewer and put a bit of shrimp or something loosely on the end. Try and put it very near the tip of an arm of the star. They can actually smell it. Hopefully it will be interested....but if not, keep trying, and maybe vary the type of food.
As for the phyto, it is a good food for many filter feeders in the tank. No problems there at all. But in terms of dosing it, well, that in large part comes down to the animal load in your tank and your general water quality. It is hard to generalize.
I would try and take a wooden/bamboo skewer and put a bit of shrimp or something loosely on the end. Try and put it very near the tip of an arm of the star. They can actually smell it. Hopefully it will be interested....but if not, keep trying, and maybe vary the type of food.
As for the phyto, it is a good food for many filter feeders in the tank. No problems there at all. But in terms of dosing it, well, that in large part comes down to the animal load in your tank and your general water quality. It is hard to generalize.