Starfish strip LR?

[kanicky]

We were at the LFS today and asked about our favorite- the Chocolate Chip Starfish. The guy said "No way! It'll strip your LR."
True or false?

 

[chadman]

i don't know about stripping live rock...but i have heard that they are definately not reef safe...i think they eat polyps and corals and maybe inverts too??

 

[ophiura]

It is not reef safe, as for stripping live rock...I think that definition is pushing it a bit. But it will certainly graze to some extent on it.
Definitely research any star...there are a lot of potential issues and it is best to know before buying!

 

[solarscar]

My chocolate chip ate my anenome after 5 months of having them both together, it took him about 2 1/2 days then it was a ball of snot when he moved off him. Yeah, NOT reef safe and i even tried to make sure he had some fresh krill/silversides twice a week.
Stars are so awesome, i plan to move mine to a seperate tank just to keep him once i start my reef. I like them so much.
About the live rock, he won't remove the corraline if thats what you wondered. knobby stars invert thier stomachs and dissolve thier prey, urchins have a scrapping utility and will remove calcium based algae (corraline) Maybe your lfs guy was confusing the two? I know how lfs people can know so little about things, granted they have a zillion other pets (at my lfs they have everything) Still no excuse though. Mine told me that the sea apple was part of the tube worm family. Haha.

 

[julie853]

I also have CC starfish and he has eaten my tuxedo urchin and has tried to eat my soft coral.As soon as I can find him a home he's out of here.

P.S i also feed him almost everyday to keep him from eating my stuff and the only thing it has done is make him very fat and he still tries to eat everything else.WISH I WOULD HAVE RESEARCHED BEFORE I GOT HIM!!

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

CC starfish are very hurtful - cool in the LPS but I'll never own one of them - unless I get really pissed at my polyps.