Starfish Question

my question is what kind of starfish can i or do u suggest i put in my bb 10g mixed reef and if so list special requirements for species listed thanks in advance my ppl

one love
Bob Marley oops bioreefdude

 

I would not recommend any for that size tank. Come to think of it - most starfish are not well suited for most reef tanks.

They do not live long generally and often starve to death - especially Sand Sifting starfish (which obviously is a no go in a bare bottom 10 gallon). There is simply not enough food in most tanks to support SS Stars - and they wreak havoc on the microflora and microfauna that live in a sandbed.

Linkia stars might be a viable option - but again - notoriously difficult to keep long term.

Choc. chip stars (and any starfish that does not have smooth skin) will not be reef safe.

There are a number of other cool inverts you can choose from which have much higher viability in a nano/pico setup. Sexy Shrimp, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, etc. all come to mind. There are also crabs, tube worms, etc.

 

yeah i didnt think my options would be good .. i got a couple of shrimps and crabs oh well

 

yeah sorry to be the bearer . . . I also LOVE starfish - but respect their beauty in the ocean - as much as I want them in my reef tanks . . . .


We do actually have two SS Stars and a red Linkia in the 430 gallon tank here at my office - but the tanks massive and over a year old. The three starfish have been in the tank for about 18months now. The SSS's are FAT and very active. Not sure I will replace them when/if they pass (they were selected by the previous caretaker of the tank who went more on the "ooh that looks nice, i'll get it theory" rather than sound reefkeeping practices.

 

Serpent stars are pretty hardy...I have a nice orange/red one in my 125...finding a smaller one might be an issue and it would likely outgrow the 10g in a year or so.