good starfish candidates for the beginner's tank

[dbacksrat]

i'm interested in keeping starfish--i know i need an established tank, but i dont know what kinds will survive and thrive in a tank

here are some categories and what i know about them so far--
linkia species- hard to keep alive
knobbed backed species- may sample other invertebrates
brittlestars- what i'm interested in, but i saw a post today that said they werent hardy
serpent stars- not much known

can anyone give me more information?

 

[1979camaro]

birttlestars are pretty hardy imo...and i believe serpant stars and brittle stars are the same, just a different name

sand sifting stars are another good option...goof for keeping the sandbed stirred up too

 

[wayne]

Brittle stars and serpents are the same thing, and so are most sand sifters. They're pretty hardy within reasonable limits.
You should know some of the commonly sold brittles will get very big for a 29. Research what you buy, and be sensible. Big ones will trap and eat fish at night

 

[S.Reef]

Yeah, brittle and serpent stars are the same. Both are hardy and good detrivores. Watch out for Green brittles/serpents because they can prey on fish.

 

[dbacksrat]

i dont have enough surface area in my tank for a sand sifter--i have a huge 15 lb chunk of rock that takes up 1/3 of the surface area of the sand...

 

[1979camaro]

sand sifting stars generally stay pretty small, i wouldnt be concerned about his range unless the rock is resting on the sand...i suppose its possible it could tunnel under and cause a rock slide. i would think a starfish of the genus Fromia might be a good choice...my personal favorite being the red marbled star, though i have never kept it. gets to about 4in and scavenges...drop a little raw fish/shrimp/etc in there for him at night and he will go get it

 

[dbacksrat]

hmm...i was looking at one (Fromia sp.) online last week, but i didnt know whether it would behave in a reef system (hopefully in the future)

 

[1979camaro]

all of the fromia should be just fine. a good rule of thumb on starfish is "if it is knobby it is a predator"

 

[dbacksrat]

yeah--that rules out the chocolate chip starfish that they always have at the lfs...

 

[1979camaro]

yes, they are a problem in reef tanks as they eat small shelly inverts and corals..........