Can different Protoreaster starfish species cohabitate?

[vaguelyreeflike]

Curious to know if chocolate chips (P. nodosus) could be cohabbed with red knobby stars (P. linckii) specifically, or will they attack eachother?

 

[PicassoClown04]

I know that a lot of people keep multiple chocolate chips together without aggression issues. The reason a lot of people only keep one is because of their specific dietary requirements and keeping multiple would cause competition for food and maybe end in one or the other dying of starvation. Good luck!

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

I know that a lot of people keep multiple chocolate chips together without aggression issues. The reason a lot of people only keep one is because of their specific dietary requirements and keeping multiple would cause competition for food and maybe end in one or the other dying of starvation. Good luck!

I have two chocolate chips already who do great together, Im wondering about adding a red knobby star to their tank and whether or not they would attack it

 

[PicassoClown04]

I have two chocolate chips already who do great together, Im wondering about adding a red knobby star to their tank and whether or not they would attack it

I doubt it. I havent heard of any issues one way or the other but I really don't think that starfish would have targeted aggression towards each other

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

They wont attack each other if they have enough food but thats going to be difficult to provide. In nature chocolate chip stars arent even carnivorous and many can be in close proximity to one another. How big is your tank?

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

They wont attack each other if they have enough food but thats going to be difficult to provide. In nature chocolate chip stars arent even carnivorous and many can be in close proximity to one another. How big is your tank?

Its a 125gal FOWLR, the current chocolate chips are about 4-5” across and we’ve had them for over 2 years now

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Its a 125gal FOWLR, the current chocolate chips are about 4-5” across and we’ve had them for over 2 years now

Thats probably a big enough tank to house all 3...i would try to get a similarly sized red knobby sea star if I were you (they can get quite big) and definitely feed plenty because all 3 can have a voracious appetite. Thats why they turn to eating coral in captivity despite not naturally preferring coral.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Thats probably a big enough tank to house all 3...i would try to get a similarly sized red knobby sea star if I were you (they can get quite big) and definitely feed plenty because all 3 can have a voracious appetite. Thats why they turn to eating coral in captivity despite not naturally preferring coral.

It should be easy to keep them fed as the chips take most food offered, anything from frozen clam/silversides to pellets/wafers to brine and mysis shrimp carefully put under them or while they’re feeding on the surface scum. That makes sense about the corals!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

It should be easy to keep them fed as the chips take most food offered, anything from frozen clam/silversides to pellets/wafers to brine and mysis shrimp carefully put under them or while they’re feeding on the surface scum. That makes sense about the corals!

I'm glad to hear you take feeding seriously! Unfortunately, Ive talked to many hobbyists who feed their starfish very little if anything because they believe theyre simply a member of tge clean up crew.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

I'm glad to hear you take feeding seriously! Unfortunately, Ive talked to many hobbyists who feed their starfish very little if anything because they believe theyre simply a member of tge clean up crew.

I love feeding my stars, there’s quite a few species who don’t seem to eat anything offered (sand sifters, linckia etc), but these chips are voracious and not picky. They will sit with their arms on the surface eating skimmate and I can hand feed them, super fun!
I’m going to try a red knobby next month’s order, I’ll update how it goes for sure