Which stars are reef safe?

[dc_909]

I am looking for a colorful star to add to the tank. I do not want a sand sifting star or any kind of brittle/serpent star.

Does anyone have experience with other stars like linkas etc? What is the care?

Thanks

[weabby]

Get a big black spiney star

[Amoore311]

Does anyone have experience with other stars like linkas etc?

Linkia are notoriously tough to keep. In all that I have read on these things........no one knows for sure what the heck they eat. There are a few cases of people having them for a few years, but most die off very quickly in the home aquarium

[seagirl]

i know you said you don't want a brittle/serpent star, bu they are reef safe aren't they? i ask only cause i'm getting some soon

[illal]

i think the brittle star is one of the only truley reef safe stars

[Mr31415]

Linkas - I bought 3 and they all died in the first 3 days. Water conditions measured as pristine but there was enough micro algae growth for food...

Brittle stars - have *lots* of them in my reef tank. All seem extremely reef safe, except the Green Brittle Star which consumed my feather star and jumped a shrimp...

[seagirl]

thanks, i'll stay away from the green ones lol

[DrBDC]

Serpent stars are the safest.

[Lev F.]

Linckia multiflora is a pretty nice star that isn't as hard to keep as all of the other Asteroid-type starfish (except the reef friendly ones)

[illal]

Originally posted by DrBDC
Serpent stars are the safest.

not true ive heard of sepants eating fish!!!

[DrBDC]

It's the green brittles you have to worry about.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm

[jelwyoming]

I have kept a red and a blue linkia for a while now. The red one is definitely hardier. That one made it on the first try. The blue one is doing well this time....the 3rd time. I did go for a smaller one this time to insure that there would be enough food. It appears t be feeding on small critters on the LR. It hasn't visited the glass once. The red one hangs there all the time. I had the red formia type for a while...about a year until it starved.

[jelwyoming]

I have kept a red and a blue linkia for a while now. The red one is definitely hardier. That one made it on the first try. The blue one is doing well this time....the 3rd time. I did go for a smaller one this time to insure that there would be enough food. It appears t be feeding on small critters on the LR. It hasn't visited the glass once. The red one hangs there all the time. I had the red formia type for a while...about a year until it starved.

[The Saltwater Kid]

I want a Linckia Multiflora as well. My next choice would be a Fromia. I like the Serpent Stars but I've always been leary about them possibly eating fish too...plus you rarely see them except at night when the lights are out. Definitely stay far away from green brittle stars...they are a predator in every sense and will attack and eat anything they can catch that can fit in their mouths!!!

[fambrough]

Serpent stars will catch and eat shrimp when they get big. I know from experience. But they are an awesome part of the clean-up crew.

[ambaratur]

I have read a lot of good information on the fromia sea star:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...pcatid=578&N=0

I intend to get one of those as they seem to be more hardy than the linkias and look quite interesting.

[RedEyeElf]

my little red Bali star has been a good tankmate for almost a year now
bright red, with little tiny black spines on him

[JokerGirl]

I've had my true burgundy Linkia for about three months now and it's been doing great! It was missing two legs when I got it and they are over halfway grown back.

[ERTLEY]

I have a huge green brittle with no probs...It is a good idea to keep him fed,as i do....Sometimes it's the luck of the draw!

[punk*star]

I had a green serpent star and it would pull mexican turbo snails off the glass. I have since sold it back to the fish store and got a stripped brittle star. No problems! Great reef star.

[DrBDC]

Just for clarification, this is a green brittle star. Serpent stars have smooth legs. Many stores mislabel these as serpents.

[punk*star]

This is my star now!

From Aquarium Photos

[DrBDC]

Originally posted by punk*star

Yep, that's a brittle. Interesting pattern. I haven't seen, or noticed anyway, those at any of our LFS's around here.

[salty3]

I have a green brittle star and a chacolate chip in my 30L reef with no problems at all they both leave the corals, fish and snails alone. I do agree with ertley some times its the luck of the draw, because chacolate chips are not reef safe but this one as been more than good in my tank.