Starfish compatability
- Thread starter Thade_hicks
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OP
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Thade_hicks
Active Member
Meaning? Lol. They were looking at a chocolate chip starfish. I'd like to get a nem in the tank and I know they WILL eat that. Any that are easier, good looking, stars that wouldn't be a problem with nems and macro?
livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
Are you opposed to brittle or serpent stars??
OP
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Thade_hicks
Active Member
I work at an lfs and have had them nab some fish in the store, and I wanna do a few shrimp so probably would prefer to avoid them. That and they never come out lol
((FORDTECH))
2500 Club Member
I never knew chocolate chips ate nems
livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
Oh really? I too used to work in a shop and never experienced that but I'm not doubting you or anything. Do you know about West African Biscuit Starfish? They're generally a little pricey and can be difficult to find though...
Were these the big green serpent starfish? Because from everything I’ve read/seen, we don’t really get predatory brittle starfish in the hobby much if at all aside from the green serpent star, Ophiarachna incrassata.
((FORDTECH))
2500 Club Member
This exactly
OP
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Thade_hicks
Active Member
Had one eat a sixline wrasse believe it or not. He slept in the hole the starfish made got eaten over night. Heard of them, they look so cool! Seen the aussies but not the Africans. Ever seen a double starfish?
OP
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Thade_hicks
Active Member
Had someone bring one back to the store I work at cause it ate 2 long tentacle and a bubbletip. Plus coral
OP
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Thade_hicks
Active Member
Came in as a serpent star. Our suppliers never get specific unfortunately, which ticks me off. But I'm pretty sure it was a green.
Yeah, they’re the only green ones I’ve seen, so it was probably the same species. They’re known fish predators.
livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
I haven't heard the term "double starfish". What's the actual name of them?...tbh I do know a bit about stars so almost certainly know of it at the very least
Iconaster longimanus, it’s a biofilm eater.
OP
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Thade_hicks
Active Member
Beat me too it, thanks! Lol
OP
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Thade_hicks
Active Member
Well that sucks. Seems like that's the only one we every get in the store.
livinlifeinBKK
5000 Club Member
Thanks...in that case, yeah I've seen them many times...
OP
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Thade_hicks
Active Member
Only two more accessible stars that I can think of that I can think of that would be safe for all that would be that double star and a sand sifter. Cause linkas are more difficult and I honestly can't remember if they are reef safe. There's kinds that are and kinds that aren't I believe
Yeah, the double star is likely going to be just as difficult as the Linckias (as biofilm eaters, they have a similar diet), and sand sifters are known for depleting the fauna in the sand bed then starving. Honestly, at this point the only tropical true starfish that seem to do really well in our tanks are Aquilonastra species (known in the hobby as Asterina starfish, though Asterina is actually a different genus in the same family as Aquilonastra, and Asterina stars are typically predatory). Beyond that, the next best thing we have are the non-green brittle/serpent stars.
