Starfish Success Storys

I was thinking the same thing.

Personally, I believe that most stars are short-lived in aquaria because we fail to research and understand the specific species' dietary needs. In some cases, it's just impractical if not impossible to keep one alive simply because of the type or amount of food they consume. Just like so many other motile inverts in the sea, many species of stars are predators of other creatures we also can't keep, and only a choice few will even touch algae, prepared foods, or detritus in an effort to survive. Of those that can actually thrive on those things, most can't get enough in captivity.

JM2C

 

I jsut purchases a red formia and am hoping to have good success. If I remember I think it was Coralline who had one for a few years, I believe she had a tank crash or something that killed it off not slow starvation you can PM her

 

I've had a chocolate chip star for going on 2 1/2 yrs and a serpent star it's on the back side of my rocks now so I can't get pic of it I feed it shrimp about 1 every week other then that he on his on

 

Chocolate Chip starfish do very well in our aquariums because they are one of the species that does not eat biofilm, algae, or detritis at all. They eat meaty foods and are not safe in a reef tank as they will eat coral and any fish they can catch. They get massive too, I believe like 15inches, and need a large tank.

Serpents and bristle starfish are very common and do very well in our reefs with a mixed review as to how fish safe they are. The common opinion is that the serpent starts are more prone to fish predation than bristlestars.

The most reef safe starfish are the fromia and linkia species and that is because they do NOT eat fish or meaty foods. This is also what makes them such a challenge since we can not simply throw a piece of shrimp at them to feed. Really there has been no scientific research done on living specimens about diet and captive care requirments. Most of the information we have is from dead specimens and speculative information from stories of poor survival. Hopefully one day this can change and we can understand how to keep these guys they add a lot of color and character to a reef

 

When I took down the tank I just gave them to a friend. It was a large established tank, the star fish pretty much stayed in the areas where I let the film algae grow. I would say I probably had them for 2 years.

 

My second guess was a tank tear down! Oh well shouldve known you wouldnt let a tank crash lol

 

Oh I have crashed my share of tanks believe me. ;D

 

I have had this bubble tip brittle star for about 3.5 years now. He even dropped a leg when I upgraded from my 36 to my 90. I dropped a rock that may have landed on his leg, oops. He regrew the leg and each leg is about 9 inches long now. He has been a good starfish too, no eating fish or corals.

 

I think this is why I never had the guts to start a salt. I finally said screw it and jumped on the ride but I can't say that fear of coming home to a crashed tank doesn't cross my head a few times a week. sorry to step off subject

 

This might be old: It does sum up my personal experience. Chocolate chips, not reef safe but pretty darn hardy, Linckia reef safe but difficult long term for most , I think member pink4miss has had good luck with them. Fromia I have had the most luck with long term.


Starfish: Considerations for the Common (and Commonly Misunderstood) Varieties by Anthony Calfo - Reefkeeping.com