What does care for linkia starfish look like?

Daniel@R2R · Jun 22, 2020

I know a few years back there was a major lack of solid information on how to keep linkia starfish. IIRCC there was even some ambiguity about what they eat. Where are we on linkia care today? Have there been advances? What do we know about keeping them at this point? Can it be done successfully?

Photo by @Paul87

Miller535 · Jun 22, 2020

I have wanted one for almost 10 years that I have been in the hobby. But was always scared away. Even sites that sell them generally talked about how most died in most aquariums. Yet as you pointed out, gave no real information about them.

According to blue Zoo:

Diet

If introduced to a large well established aquarium, very little needs to be done to supplement Linckias. Occasional offerings of clam, mussel or scallop may be appreciated but rarely accepted. The bacterial film that comprises the mainstay of the Linckias diet usually appears in abundance in well established and seasoned aquariums. Supplemental feedings of meaty foods is usually not enough to sustain them.

If this is true, it would definitely explain why they are generally reported to strave.

Daniel@R2R · Jun 22, 2020

Miller535 said:
If this is true, it would definitely explain why they are generally reported to strave.

Agreed. So they feed on bacterial blooms?

Miller535 · Jun 22, 2020

Daniel@R2R said:
Agreed. So they feed on bacterial blooms?

Bacterial film. But I'm not sure what that is. And sponges (according to blue zoo)

Liveaquaria says small free floating microbes. I'm not really sure what that is either. Lol

RMS18 · Jun 22, 2020

I have one, it's been in my tank for 3 months now. I'm not sure what it eats to be honest. It just cruses around the tank glass, rock and sand. When I feed it doesn't act any different, it doesn't go after algea sheets. When it is on the rock and sand at times the center is deflated and very close to the surface, I believe that is due to it eating something. They extend their stomachs out of their body when they east. I do have green algea film on my glass. It seems happy? Long tenticle extension on his arms, great color and it's puffy. Unfortunately it has stuck two of it's arms into power heads. One leg lost about 1/4 of a leg 3 weeks after having it. And the other day it just lost 3/4 of another leg. Both wounds headed up fine, but I'm not sure if they grow back. The crazy thing is I have guards on my power heads, meaning it had to have inserted it's leg into the output side of the power heads while they are on full blast (octo plus 2). Then the prop did the rest. I feel so bad, I'm worried this will continue.

andrewey · Jun 22, 2020

This is anecdotal, but from what I've seen, probably 95% of linkias I've seen hobbyists purchase end up starving within the first 6-12 months. While there are likely exceptions to successfully keeping them, the only tanks I've seen where Linkias tend well were tanks that were at least 2-3 years old with mature live rock.