Blue starfish

[Gietz]

So I was at my LFS and I saw a blue starfish about 2 inchs big. It was 34 bucks and I really wanted to get it but not knowing what kind of starfish it was or wether it was reef safe I didnt get.  Can anyone help me as to if starfish are safe for tanks and what kind of blue starfish it is?  My LFS didn't know

 

[TORX]

Linckia laevigata
Blue Starfish

???



Blue Starfish
Quick Stats:  Blue Starfish

Family: Ophidiasteridae
Range: Indo-Pacific
Size: Up to 12 inches
Diet: Omnivore
Tank Set-up: Marine: Gravel or sand, rock
Reef Compatible: Yes
Tank Conditions: 72-78ºF; sg 1.023-1.025; pH 8.1-8.4
Temperament: Peaceful
Venomous: No
Care Level: Experts only

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

i seen them at detroit  nice looking

 

[Blob-79]

yea sounds like a blue linkia, $34 seems a little pricy for a little one.

 

[TORX]

Does make me a little nervous that the LFS does not know what they have in stock

 

[El concistador]

Had 3 over the last several years, all died.

Not something I would try, unless it's going in a fairly large tank

 

[Gietz]

Hmmm ya I'm not going to try it but I do want a starfish. Any ideas?

 

[El concistador]

I seen a really nice pink one at profish.

call him up maybe hopefully he will know, I think they don't get as big in the long run, was around the same price I believe.

 

[spyd]

Definitely a Blue Linckia. They are reef safe but are very hard to keep alive. You could go with an Orange Linkia. They are a little easier to keep and still reef safe. Only problem is they will die in your tank eventually as they solely east film algae and most tanks don't have enough to keep them alive.

There are a lot of reef safe sea stars out there but a lot of them depend on whether or not you have a clam in your tank, as some of them will definitely eat it.

 

[copperkills]

My personal fav are the red orange fromia...they stay small, are relatively hardy and are reef safe...check compatibility with your other livestock...I have had flame angels pick at them!


The Red Starfish, or Red Sea Star, of the genus Fromia may be various shades of red. It has multiple black pores (dots) on its surface. The tips of the arms are the same or a lighter color than the rest of the arm, differentiating it from Fromia indica.
It generally lives alone, but if the aquarium is large enough to support more than one, it will tolerate others of its own species. It requires a mature tank with algae and is generally fairly self-sufficient in the aquarium, finding enough micro-organisms and detritus to scavenge if live rock is present. It is diurnal.

STATS 
Care Level: Moderate 
Temperament: Peaceful 
Reef Compatible: Yes 
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025 
Max. Size: 6" 
Color Form: Orange, Red, Tan 
Diet: Omnivore 
Supplements: Iodine, Trace Elements 
Origin: Indonesia, Maldives, Papua New Guinea 
Family: Ophidiasteridae

 

[Zakk]

My personal fav:

 

[KingTang]

Gietz

It's blue linkia.

It gets to be too huge for a 55 G

also you want a mature tank, and even then they don't last very long in a mature tank.

Also 35 bucks is PRICEY for that star!

Starfish need a mature tank in order to survive a year or two. Linkia's usually don't do too well in home tanks. Goodluck.

 

[Gietz]

Well my LFS had the starfish for awhile and forgot its name lol. Zakk great picture!!!  And thx all for the help I'm thinking about holding off just seems to iffy right now. I'm actually thinking about getting a six line wrasse or a flasher wrasse!  Any input on which is better?  I know six lines eat bristle worms (which I'm seeing more of :$) but can be mean. Where as flashers are just really nice looking