Starfish recomendation porfavor

[nuro]

Had my tank up 11 weeks now, it has a semi decent clean up crew of 5 scarlet hermits 5 blue leg and 10 astrea snails, as well an arrow crab and a few hitchhiker crabs and snails i can't identify. Anyway I'm thinking its about time to get a starfish or urchin. ITs a 55 gallon with 115lbs lr 3 inch sandbed. I am having soem trouble keeping the sandbed clean so im curious what type of star or urchin might be best. any reccomendations?

 

[florida joe]

Among the most favored aquarium species are blue starfish (linckia larevigata) the red starfish and orange marble star fish (fromia elegans and F. monilis). Brittle stars are excellent scavengers but reclusive. Stay away from the crown or thorns. I would stay away from urchins, as I believe they eat coraline algae

 

[rcreations]

I have 2 starfish, one in each of my tanks. I have a serpent starfish and a brittle starfish, both are excellent scavangers but like to hide out in the rocks most of the day and move at night. So I guess it depends what you are after... If you want a pretty starfish to look at, check some of the colorful ones. But if you want a great scavanger, you can't go wrong with either of these two.

 

[nuro]

awesome, thanks guys!

 

[grabbitt]

It sounds like there's a good amount of LR in your set-up to keep quite a few different stars happy and fed, but I would recommend giving it a couple more months for your tank to develop before adding one.

 

[lightfrommoon]

I love my starfish, and I have a few.... An orange linckia and a blue linckia, a brittle star, and two sand sifter stars. The sand sifters stay mostly in the sand, and seem to do an excellent job of cleaning up. When they want, they move pretty darn fast too! The orange linckia seems to like hangin out at the top of the water and hanging one arm out across the surface. He is SO gorgeous!!! He's the contortionist lol The brittle star only comes out at night, but he does his share of cleaning. My sand sifters are greenish brown, but i think there are different kinds, i saw one kind with an orange outline. Pretty cool.... Anyhow the sand sifters will keep your sand tip top!!! here's some pics of my stars too

the moonlit one is one of the sandsifters, they hang on the glass at night sometimes. Dont have any of the brittle star, she's shy!!!

 

[florida joe]

great pic

 

[grabbitt]

The picture of the orange linckia is awesome. Great color!

 

[alienhybridx]

i have a urchin and he doesn't bother eating the coralline algae.....
the starfish that have kept and i recommend are chocolate chip/african red knob/knobby starfish they are fairly easy to care for and last a very long time

 

[lightfrommoon]

Thanks!!! The Blue linckia and that hermit crab have been hanging out together for over a week. the crab just rides along wherever the star goes. its cute

plus there's a hermit in my tank with some sort of freaky alien type satellite on him. I think he owns the local aquarium radio station.... seriously though, could it be a feather duster or something? it's tiny, like 1/4 inch when its opened... and its red & white... I can't seem to get a pic cuz its so small, but i'll try.... they're really blurry but..... do you see it?

 

[puffer32]

Stay away from any of the linka's unless you have a large tank, 125 gal or better. They need lots of LR to eat off of. Brittles and serpants are good for smaller tanks and great scavengers.

 

[travis89]

You should wait until your tank has been setup 6 months at the minimum before adding any starfish, I would personally wait until the 1 year mark to give the tank time to mature. When you do get one I would suggest a Brittle or Serpent. Also, I seen someone suggest the Choc. chip, if you're gonna have a reef you won't want one of these guys.

 

[alyssia]

I agree w/puffer and Travis, 11 weeks old is way to new for a linckia or fromia. Sand sifters generally starve to death in captivity and they eat the beneficial stuff in the sand.

 

[ophiura]

I strongly disagree with the purchase or recommendation of a Linckia or a Fromia for a small young tank. These are delicate stars, and long term survival is poor. There is also a big risk in the first month...water conditions must be PRISTINE and what is "perfect" for fish is often fatal for these animals.
They do not eat "algae," or detritus nor are they part of a clean up crew. They will not help keep a sand bed clean. They rely on healthy mature LR in a large tank. For a blue linckia, I honestly would not recommend any less than a 100g with 150lbs of LR minimum.
It takes 12 to 18 months for them to starve...this is a don't count your eggs before they've hatched. There may be no signs of trouble until then.
Brittlestars and serpentstars, for the most part, are excellent additions. But I never recommend a sand sifter, ever, as nearly all will starve in smaller tanks in 12 to 18 months after eating all of the beneficial fauna in a sand bed.
I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but these are difficult animals to keep long term. They have very special needs but most are not provided. Their lives are pretty short in captivity.

 

[brad pitt]

if i was u i would buy a chocolate chip starfish i had horrible water condition for a week once all my fish and crabs died but my chocolate star fish was alive and well. they are strong. i gave it away =[ i miss it

 

[florida joe]

Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2567450
I strongly disagree with the purchase or recommendation of a Linckia or a Fromia for a small young tank. These are delicate stars, and long term survival is poor. There is also a big risk in the first month...water conditions must be PRISTINE and what is "perfect" for fish is often fatal for these animals.
They do not eat "algae," or detritus nor are they part of a clean up crew. They will not help keep a sand bed clean. They rely on healthy mature LR in a large tank. For a blue linckia, I honestly would not recommend any less than a 100g with 150lbs of LR minimum.
It takes 12 to 18 months for them to starve...this is a don't count your eggs before they've hatched. There may be no signs of trouble until then.
Brittlestars and serpentstars, for the most part, are excellent additions. But I never recommend a sand sifter, ever, as nearly all will starve in smaller tanks in 12 to 18 months after eating all of the beneficial fauna in a sand bed.
I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but these are difficult animals to keep long term. They have very special needs but most are not provided. Their lives are pretty short in captivity.
I am quoting R. Fenner the various Linckia and Fromia choices seem to feed on algae detritus and microbes in the rocks and in the sand

 

[usefulidiot213]

"They do not eat "algae," or detritus nor are they part of a clean up crew. They will not help keep a sand bed clean. They rely on healthy mature LR in a large tank. For a blue linckia, I honestly would not recommend any less than a 100g with 150lbs of LR minimum."
If they don't eat Algae, or detritus. Or anything off the sand bed.. What do they eat...?

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by usefulidiot213
http:///forum/post/2568324
"They do not eat "algae," or detritus nor are they part of a clean up crew. They will not help keep a sand bed clean. They rely on healthy mature LR in a large tank. For a blue linckia, I honestly would not recommend any less than a 100g with 150lbs of LR minimum."
If they don't eat Algae, or detritus. Or anything off the sand bed.. What do they eat...?

They graze off LR

 

[florida joe]

Originally Posted by alyssia
http:///forum/post/2568540
They graze off LR
And what do they graze on ? The rock its self ?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/2568552
And what do they graze on ? The rock its self ?
Linkias do not eat prepared foods, nor are they algae eaters. They do graze from the rock itself. I am not sure exactly what they specifically eat off of it. You may want to ask Ophiura on that one.