starfish

[wablondie98664]

when i finally get my 29 gallon cycled i would like to get a starfish of some sorts. the tank is going to be a FOWLR, the inhabitant would eventually be: 1 clarkii, 1 domino, 1 yellowtail, 1 royal gramma, 1 firefish and 1 pj cardinal
anyone have any opinions on what starfish would go best with this setup??

 

[lopeyc]

I just got a little orange star from sri lanka ... but the guy i bought the tank from now tells me he lost an identical star in the tank to one of the crabs or shrimps.
He said they'd eat one leg at a time until there were no more....sounds like a horror flick!
So I'm keeping a close eye on this guy. He is purty, tho.

 

[jillian ayers]

You might want to wait awhile after the tank has cycled, maybe 6 months are so since starfish need very stable and mature systems to thrive in. If it is a type of linkia, I would not suggest getting it for a 29 at all, since they also require very large tanks. Hopefully, ophiura will chime in and give you some more advice. HTH

 

[lovethesea]

We have had a chocolate chip star for over a year. He is very fun to watch. Very busy in the tank. He will even come to the top and lean out ward as if he is sunning himself. We have clown, 2 firefish, manderin,goby and anenome (sp). My kids get a kick out of watching his stomach come out to eat of piece of shrimp.

 

[the claw]

Linckias are pretty sensitive, and you should wait until your system is very mature. I also think a 29 might be too small for one. The chocolate chip star is fun for a FOWLR, but make sure you have your live rock stable. They are little bulldozers. Rocks plus glass equals water.

 

[steelchromis]

Why? Is a cc star not good for a reef tank?

 

[the claw]

They have a tendancy to uproot your livestock. Back to that bulldozing effect I was talking about. I don't know if they do any other harm than knocking all of your prized specimen over into your other prize specimens.

 

[ophiura]

CC stars are predatory and not reef safe. They can and will eat snails, corals, clams, etc....however, they can be spot fed, which makes them quite handy in most tanks. They are good scavengers, but should be spot fed. SOme people have no encounters with them eating stuff, but it is a risk.
I really do not recommend any Linckia, and certainly not Fromia (reef safe stars) for this tank. If it was a very mature reef tank with loads of LR, a Linckia multiflora is a possibility...but not until the tank is at least 6 months old with pristine water conditions. These stars can not be spot fed and most will starve in smaller tanks.
Ditto for sand sifter stars.
Brittlestars are an option.
But the best is probably a chocolate chip or general star, but the tank should still be quite mature as they are very senstive to poor water conditions. Also, they all need long acclimations, which is something to read up on when the time draws closer.