starfish

[caz]

i need a suggestion from you guys as to what(if any) starfish i can get for my tank. i will be having a little live rock, i have a coral banded shrimp, 2 clowns and two damsels. also, i would like to get a few hermit crabs, and perhaps a horseshow crab. i understand that stars eat alot of inverts, so are there any that are compalable for the fish that i have(want) ?

thanx
caz

[OrionGirl]

Serpent stars are considered fairly safe, as long as they are well fed. I have a red one in my reef, with hermits, snails, and shrimp--never seen any sign of aggression.

[Raki]

I've had a chocolate chip for a week now I know that's not very long but he seems very content and is leaving the inverts alone

[caz]

the guy at the lfs said that he recommends reef stars. he said that they wouldnt harm anything.

[OrionGirl]

I'm not sure what a reef star would be? There are many stars that live on reefs in the wild--but many of them are predatory.

Chocolates are okay in a fish only tank, but will go after bi-valves and corals.

[caz]

i think he ment a sand sifting star

[OrionGirl]

Ahhh. Sand sifting stars are safe--they can't climb on rocks, so are easily avoided by other inverts. They will make a serious dent in the populations of other sand bed critters though. Just a consideration. I have one in a sump right now. He's tough, but will sometimes manage to get caught in a PH that is close to the sand. Not good!

[caz]

so he should be ok for the species i listed above though? heres a couple more quick questions. can more than one be put together? like could i have a serpent star and a sand sifting star? also, do they require any special lighting?

thanx

[OrionGirl]

Yes, it will mix with the other fish and inverts. I'd avoid the horseshoe crab--cool as they are, they have very, very poor survival rates, and tend to get flipped over easily in an aquarium, where they will be attacked and eaten easily.

For mixing--no problems there. My serpent stays on the rock, the sand sifter can't climb rocks or glass at all. No need for special lighting, but you'll need to target feed them both.

[caz]

what products do you use to target feed? and why not the horseshoe crab? its one of the creatures that got my interested in the hobby, and i thought they were easy to take care of??? plus i ordered one this morning :(

[OrionGirl]

I target feed with meaty tabs (like algae wafers, but with meats) and with frozen formula one.

Horseshoe crabs need vast areas of open sand. They are not built to go on rocks, and are poor swimmers in open water. They need a very vigorous sand bed to support them--definitely would not add a sand sifting star with a crab--and tend to get flipped upside down easily--falling off a rock, or by a strong current of water. Sorry--but IMO, very few tanks can support them for long. Some species also get large--12-15 inches as adults, so even if you can keep it alive, it's going to need a big tank eventually. If I were to try keeping them again--yes, I bought one as well, and it died--I would have it in a tank with just sand--no rock of any kind, and slow water movement. Not really the typical reef setup, not even a good FO setup.

[caz]

thanx orion girl. i appreciate your honesty. i will cancel my order tommorrow. are there any other inverts that you might suggest? i dont have any live rock yet, lfs should get getting some in soon i hope.

[OrionGirl]

With a coral banded shrimp, you're kind of limited. They won't go after stars, but other inverts will be at risk. CBS can be very aggressive, and kill other shrimps and crabs. You might be able to get away with some cleaners, or a fleet footed sally light foot crab, but the slower, peaceful crabs probably will be picked on all the time.

Cucumbers should be okay--the tiger tails will help maintain your sand bed as well. Some kinds are very toxic, though, so be careful. Snails, limpets, and most small hermits would likely be safe as well.

[caz]

okay thank you again :) i think im gonna do some more research on serpent stars, sand sifting stars, and the cucumbers

thanx :)

[caz]

can i feed starfish shrimp pellets? like the ones i would use to feed fw bottom feeders?

[Kurt]

Hey I have just heard that Coral Banded shimp will pick on other inverts. How about the CBS and Emerald crab. Is that an OK mix. I just added them together in my tank about a month ago. One CBS and 4 Emeralds. My tank is a little larger so it is hard to tell if the emeralds are getting picked on. Never see it actually. But also cannot account for all the Emeralds either, hehe

[OrionGirl]

The shrimp pellets are a good choice for feeding--inverts snatch them up.

CBS can go after any inverts. If there are enough hiding places, they will usually claim a cave and leave other's mostly alone, but I still don't trust them. It's just hit or miss, really.