Perfect use for Chocolate Chip Star?

KyleO · 02/28/2007, 01:26 AM

I had a friend inadvertently come with what I think is a great idea. He mentioned that he put his chocolate starfish in his sump as a "time out" measure due to it wreaking so much havoc on his reef tank.........

It occurred to me that seemed to be a perfect use for this aggressive little (fairly inexpensive) little janitor. I went right out and got one. He has been tooling around the sump cleaning the glass, cleaning off the filter sock, cleaning up some of the fine muck that collects on the bottom of the first chamber.

Am I missing something or is this a truly great idea?

xcreonx · 02/28/2007, 01:42 AM

It's a common practice to place inverts in the sump to act as janitors. The big issue you'll run into is the chocolate chip stars are carnivores. As your friend found out, they will eat coral. You will need to feed the star meaty foods to keep him alive. So whether or not adding food to the sump to feed something you purchased to clean your sump is a good idea... well that's your call.

Most reefers choose snails for algae control in the sump.

02/28/2007, 01:26 AM	#1
KyleO Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brentwood, CA (SF Bay Area) Posts: 737	Perfect use for Chocolate Chip Star? I had a friend inadvertently come with what I think is a great idea. He mentioned that he put his chocolate starfish in his sump as a "time out" measure due to it wreaking so much havoc on his reef tank......... It occurred to me that seemed to be a perfect use for this aggressive little (fairly inexpensive) little janitor. I went right out and got one. He has been tooling around the sump cleaning the glass, cleaning off the filter sock, cleaning up some of the fine muck that collects on the bottom of the first chamber. Am I missing something or is this a truly great idea?

02/28/2007, 01:42 AM	#2
xcreonx Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 1,362	It's a common practice to place inverts in the sump to act as janitors. The big issue you'll run into is the chocolate chip stars are carnivores. As your friend found out, they will eat coral. You will need to feed the star meaty foods to keep him alive. So whether or not adding food to the sump to feed something you purchased to clean your sump is a good idea... well that's your call. Most reefers choose snails for algae control in the sump. __________________ Nature knows no indecencies; man invents them. -Mark Twain Current Tank Info: 90g shallow with H. Barbouri Seahorses