Meet Cookie!

[AydenLincoln]

 

[Dani305]

Lovely! What type is cookie?

 

[Mikedawg]

With a name like "cookie" I thought it might be a chocolate chip star, but I see it isn't one. What colors is it?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Assuming based on both what I can see of the star and one of her comments in another thread: Anchitosia queenslandensis - the “Red Biscuit/West African Biscuit Starfish”

 

[AydenLincoln]

Assuming based on both what I can see of the star and one of her comments in another thread: Anchitosia queenslandensis - the “Red Biscuit/West African Biscuit Starfish”

Yes!

 

[AydenLincoln]

With a name like "cookie" I thought it might be a chocolate chip star, but I see it isn't one. What colors is it?

A West African Biscuit Starfish! Red and yellow!

 

[AydenLincoln]

Lovely! What type is cookie?

A West African Biscuit Starfish!

 

[Mikedawg]

Yes!

Very nice

 

[AydenLincoln]

I hope he’s a model citizen and doesn’t disintegrate on me! I drip acclimated him for over an hour and bought algae wafers.

 

[AydenLincoln]

I hope he’s a model citizen and doesn’t disintegrate on me! I drip acclimated him for over an hour and bought algae wafers and have found a few but not many people who have had success keeping them one in 5 gallons less than mine.

 

[Dkmoo]

Following. Please let us know he is doing over the long term and share any success tips.. Ive been wanting to get a starfish for ages but havent pulled the trigger bc a lot of what I've read point to that they have a low chance of survival past the 8month - 1 year mark. Likely factors point to that they starve to death bc algae is not their primary food source - they feed more on the bacterial film on rocks and sand that our tanks has very little chance to keep up with the supply.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Following. Please let us know he is doing over the long term and share any success tips.. Ive been wanting to get a starfish for ages but havent pulled the trigger bc a lot of what I've read point to that they have a low chance of survival past the 8month - 1 year mark. Likely factors point to that they starve to death bc algae is not their primary food source - they feed more on the bacterial film on rocks and sand that our tanks has very little chance to keep up with the supply.

For most stars that’s true, but this one seems to be an exception (see the quotes below from the discussion on the OP’s other thread):

Anchitosia queenslandensis - the “Red Biscuit/West African Biscuit Starfish” - definitely an attractive species. Formerly known as Tosia queenslandensis, and still better known by that name. This is one of the few “biscuit starfish” species that the info I listed above may not apply to, as not much seems to be known about them.

MadCity Corals kept one for about two years by letting it eat algae in the tank and supplementing with algae wafers before it apparently started eating their encrusting corals (I’m not sure if this applies with this species/situation or not, but many carnivorous starfish species actually start off herbivorous and only turn carnivorous as adults - the Crown Of Thorns Seastar is an excellent example of this). They discussed their experience keeping it here on Reef2Reef, and they put it up for sale on their Facebook page when it started eating corals last year (you can still find the post). They may have gotten the star young enough that it hadn’t transitioned fully to “adult” foods when they first got it (I’m not sure when this species matures, but this strikes me as possible yet unlikely), or it - like many fish in the hobby - may have just developed a taste for them randomly. Either way, algae is a much easier thing to feed than sponges, but it might still be a good idea to offer a sponge, tunicate, or bryozoan or two just to see if it takes it.

I’m curious to see how this goes for you - good luck, and keep us updated!

Cliff here aka MadCity Corals. I did keep one for probably close to 5 years or longer. Attractive species easy to keep in my opinion. I try to keep my tank around 75-76 not for ther starfish health but corals health. Lower temp less bacterial infections. However my tank would hover around 80-81 during the summer months and I didn't have any problems with the African Biscuit star in warmer temps. Years later it got a taste for incrusting cyphastrea corals, nothing else.

 

[Dkmoo]

For most stars that’s true, but this one seems to be an exception (see the quotes below from the discussion on the OP’s other thread):

Ahh, good to know, didn't see other thread. Maybe ill look and get one too, its the one thing I'm missing in my tank!

 

[AydenLincoln]

Ahh, good to know, didn't see other thread. Maybe ill look and get one too, its the one thing I'm missing in my tank!

All of the above is true and I saw someone else on Facebook who has had this species of starfish in a Waterbox Cube 15 for almost a year which is five gallons less than mine lol and that’s all I’ve found so far searching dozens of pages and forums! They hard to find and rarer I believe and ironically my lfs got some in and it was a decent price for a starfish (especially a rarer one). I saw the post a few months ago on their Facebook the only thing I will say is a biscuit starfish does prefer slightly lower temperatures than the common 78 F tank temp so I changed my tank temp to 75-76 and matched my lfs invertebrate tank! I will absolutely keep everyone updated.

 

[Dkmoo]

All of the above is true and I saw someone else on Facebook who has had this species of starfish in a Waterbox Cube 15 for almost a year which is five gallons less than mine lol and that’s all I’ve found so far searching dozens of pages and forums! They hard to find and rarer I believe and ironically my lfs got some in and it was a decent price for a starfish (especially a rarer one). I saw the post a few months ago on their Facebook the only thing I will say is a biscuit starfish does prefer slightly lower temperatures than the common 78 F tank temp so I changed my tank temp to 75-76 and matched my lfs invertebrate tank! I will absolutely keep everyone updated.

My tank is running at 85 tonight amist a heat wave + broken AC.... looks like I need to buy a chiller before I can look for the starfish lol

 

[AydenLincoln]

My tank is running at 85 tonight amist a heat wave + broken AC.... looks like I need to buy a chiller before I can look for the starfish lol

Oh boy…yes and probably a good idea regardless that’s very bad/warm for everything!! So I was at Reef-A-Palooza yesterday and all day my Apex was alerting me that my tank temp. kept rising because it was 90+ F outside and my tank went to 82+ and at 11:30 PM when I realized I’m calling my family to turn the AC in my room as I have that and my central air because my room just gets hot without it in the Summer and now it’s all good. And lesson learned lol. Now I love my Apex even more. And now I know not to turn it off when I go away lol.

 

[KrisReef]

Please delete I double posted!

I’m not a mod, but I know how to get one: Hit the” report “ bell icon and ask the mod to delete the double message.
hth

I met a wild woman once who told me her name was “Cookie.” Thanks for redeeming that name for me.

 

[AydenLincoln]

I’m not a mod, but I know how to get one: Hit the” report “ bell icon and ask the mod to delete the double message.
hth

I met a wild woman once who told me her name was “Cookie.” Thanks for redeeming that name for me.

HAHA THAT’S REALLY FUNNY LOL!! I know I just wanted to delete/edit what was posted twice.

 

[cliff076]

Following. Please let us know he is doing over the long term and share any success tips.. Ive been wanting to get a starfish for ages but havent pulled the trigger bc a lot of what I've read point to that they have a low chance of survival past the 8month - 1 year mark. Likely factors point to that they starve to death bc algae is not their primary food source - they feed more on the bacterial film on rocks and sand that our tanks has very little chance to keep up with the supply.

I had mine for 5yrs in a 120 gallon. No special feeding requirements