Starfish

Maxi · 01/22/2009, 06:09 PM

I want to own 2 starfish...

marbled sea star
and a sand sifting sea star.

Problem is, I don't know if it would be appropiate. Especially in my tank, it is a 26g bowfront, SPS reef.
can it be done, or will the sand sifting starfish be cramped?

dlaclo · 01/22/2009, 06:12 PM

not only will it be cramped unless your LR is very well attached to each other and well underneath your substrate it will most likley knock over your lr killing somethings and possibly shattering your tank killing everything in that small of a tank in my personal oppinon i would not risk it...

Juruense · 01/22/2009, 06:13 PM

There are two kinds of starfish, the kind that just die and the kind that eat corals.

dlaclo · 01/22/2009, 06:19 PM

right i am definatly against having starfish in a reef tank the only way i w ould have one is if it was in a tank all by its self

Whys · 01/22/2009, 06:28 PM

I don't know what kind of sandbed you have, but I've read that the sand sifting sea star is an especially bad idea for DSBs, as it will eat the benthic (?) organisms in the sand.

CnLHolman01 · 01/22/2009, 07:19 PM

I had a sand sifting star. With in a week of putting it in I had spikes in nitrates and ammonia.
I took it out and things balanced out. I am not a fan of them. I by the way have a 2" sand bed in the display and a fuge...Just my 2 cents. Was told it was a good thing I got rid of it, because it would have stared to death.

Salamander · 01/22/2009, 07:22 PM

IMO Stay away from those. Get a small serpent star. They're easy to maintain in a tank and eat leftover food. They will accept (and love) feedings of chunks of shrimp, squid etc. They may hide in the day but will come out for food.

jubjub · 01/22/2009, 07:32 PM

^^yeah get the serpent... tanks to small for a sandsifting star imo it will probbly starve in your tank....i had one in my 75 it still came up to eat off the surface from time to time....then my trigger thought he looked yummie

Gary Majchrzak · 01/22/2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Maxi
I want to own 2 starfish...

marbled sea star
and a sand sifting sea star.

Problem is, I don't know if it would be appropiate. Especially in my tank, it is a 26g bowfront, SPS reef.
can it be done, or will the sand sifting starfish be cramped?

I don't think either of these would be appropriate for your particular reef aquarium. Depending on several factors, either of these are very likely to starve to death in short order.

A much better choice would be a brittlestar or a serpent star.
Related reading:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-0...ture/index.php

01/22/2009, 06:09 PM	#1
Maxi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,381	Starfish I want to own 2 starfish... marbled sea star and a sand sifting sea star. Problem is, I don't know if it would be appropiate. Especially in my tank, it is a 26g bowfront, SPS reef. can it be done, or will the sand sifting starfish be cramped?

01/22/2009, 07:19 PM	#6
CnLHolman01 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Henderson, Nevada Posts: 79	I had a sand sifting star. With in a week of putting it in I had spikes in nitrates and ammonia. I took it out and things balanced out. I am not a fan of them. I by the way have a 2" sand bed in the display and a fuge...Just my 2 cents. Was told it was a good thing I got rid of it, because it would have stared to death. __________________ Lori Current Tank Info: 135 gal display,

01/22/2009, 07:22 PM	#7
Salamander Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 2,103	IMO Stay away from those. Get a small serpent star. They're easy to maintain in a tank and eat leftover food. They will accept (and love) feedings of chunks of shrimp, squid etc. They may hide in the day but will come out for food. __________________ I feel more like myself now than I did before. Current Tank Info: 120g mixed reef, 2 x 250W DE MH, 2 x 54w T5, MSX 200 SKimmer, 2 Koralia 4's, 40g fuge/sump, QT

01/22/2009, 07:32 PM	#8
jubjub Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: vacaville, cali Posts: 2,698	^^yeah get the serpent... tanks to small for a sandsifting star imo it will probbly starve in your tank....i had one in my 75 it still came up to eat off the surface from time to time....then my trigger thought he looked yummie __________________ "The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence." - Abu Ala Al-Maari

01/22/2009, 06:12 PM	#2
dlaclo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: knoxville Posts: 30	not only will it be cramped unless your LR is very well attached to each other and well underneath your substrate it will most likley knock over your lr killing somethings and possibly shattering your tank killing everything in that small of a tank in my personal oppinon i would not risk it...

01/22/2009, 06:13 PM	#3
Juruense Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 1,138	There are two kinds of starfish, the kind that just die and the kind that eat corals.

01/22/2009, 06:19 PM	#4
dlaclo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: knoxville Posts: 30	right i am definatly against having starfish in a reef tank the only way i w ould have one is if it was in a tank all by its self

01/22/2009, 06:28 PM	#5
Whys Moved On Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,263	I don't know what kind of sandbed you have, but I've read that the sand sifting sea star is an especially bad idea for DSBs, as it will eat the benthic (?) organisms in the sand.