Cleaner shrimp and Blue linkia

[TheRealFF]

I got a blue linkia yesterday. It crawled into my cleaner shrimp's favorite cave and stayed there. I could look into the cave and see my shrimp standing on it. My shrimp seems to be picking something off my star. Is he eating my starfish?

Thanks

 

[afilter]

Has it reappeared? Blue linkias are very pretty, but very touchy and recommended for experts only with an established reef tank. I woudl not even consider one for my tank at this point.

Recommend you find it and remove it. If not properly drip acclimated it may have already died and will surely foul your tank.

Six months from now if your tank is doing well a small orange or red linkia might be an option.

How much did you pay and did the LFS ask you any questions about your set-up before selling it t you? If it is still alive I would try to return it. IMO,it is totally irresponsible of an LFS to sell this to you if you accurately represented your situation to them.

If they did find a new LFS.

Good luck,

HTH,

 

[ryguy]

I'm pretty sure blue linkia's are hardier than the other colored linkias, however, RealFF, you seem to be stocking your tank VERY quickly for a 29G tank. Asking for a disaster in my opinion. No one can make you do anything, but when you ask advice and it is given, you should strongly consider it. Let your tank mature and take it slower.... The beautiful tanks we've all seen that roped us into this hobby, weren't created overnight.

What is your critter list right now?

What are your water parameters?

 

[revhtree]

Blue Linkias are one of the least hardiest.

 

[AndyH5512]

Blue linkias are not very hardy, as mentioned. However it's also posible that the cleaner shrimp is doing its job- cleaning the star. Has the star moved?

 

[afilter]

Yes, Blue Linkias are the hardest to keep:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=568

Actually, from personal experience a seprpeant star, brittle star or Sand sifting star(if you have a sand substrate) are the only ones I would recomend to a someone new to the hobby with reef plans.

Even the orange, red and burgandy can be problems if paramenters are not kept to the highest level. The best I ever did was about 12 months with an orange. I now happy with just my brittle and green banded serpeant which I have had from the beginning.

Unlike the movie nemo they hide most of the time any way and you only see an occassional arm reaching out to grab something. My Brittle is now a big as a dinner plate.

 

[MT79]

My shrimp seems to be picking something off my star. Is he eating my starfish?

He's most likely doing what he does best-cleaning the star of any dead or dying tissue or parasites, etc.
As mentioned B. Linckia stars are very demanding and difficult to keep. They will not tolerate water chemistry fluctuations and also have a very specific algal diet that requires a lot of LR and a mature tank.
Don't worry about the shrimp picking at the star, if anything it is helpful to the star IME. Good luck.

 

[TheRealFF]

Thanks, that's great to know. I returned the star tho hehe. Guys in this forum suggested so cuz my tank wasn't ready for one. O well, i'll get one back some day