What is the best hardy starfish to get?

[Christine22780]

Ive seen the chocolate chip starfish alot at the store where I get my saltwater items..I know thats advailable. Is there another popular one to get? I like anything thats "HARDY"..even though Ive had a tank for 5yrs. I am still a beginer by all means....the over turn of different fish and things are low, these SW fish last quite awhile... Thankgod b/c this is an expensive hobby to start.

(Ive asked alot of questions the past few days thanx for bearing with me!)
I think I am just excited to start my second tank and I am debating on what to get etc...

 

[JG]

I read that they (choc. chips) can sometimes be aggressive and problematic.

Hi from Durham !

JG

 

[melosu58]

You wont be able to have one if you have corals. They will destroy a reef tank. But if you halve a FOWLR tank then you should be OK.

 

[roka64]

Check out this site:
Starfish: Saltwater Sea Stars, Brittle Starfish and Red Sea Star

 

[Christine22780]

My tank is going to be a FOWLR tank, no corals just yet... I havent tried that yet. What prob.s could I expect with the choc. chip starfish? besides the coral thing??

 

[roka64]

The Chocolate Chip Starfish may eat corals, clams, sponges, anemones and ornamental invertebrates.

 

[Innovator]

Other than what's been posted, depending on your livestock it may be succeptible to being picked on and definitely perform a 2-4hr acclimation with the latter being optimal.

 

[mr_X]

banded serpent stars seem pretty durable and easy to care for, and they are reef safe.

 

[Judge]

I must agree with others. Chocolates are really neat but once they get started eating your inverts/corals there's no stopping them. Yep, they're hardy alright! I have a spiney serpent star that is great. He was really bashful at first but now I hand feed him chunks of frozen "people" shrimp. He loves it and does not bother anything in the tank.

 

[Christine22780]

The choc. chip would eat my snails, and crabs??? Also, I just read about the sand sifting star that one looks pretty interesting

 

[roka64]

The sand sifting star needs a larger and well established tank, otherwise it may starve.

 

[fijiwigi]

I recently got a fromia milleporella (spelling may be wrong) Red Starfish its six-legged and so far so good. I don't know how hardy the little guy will be. I have read the average life span in an aquarium is only about a year or so. Hopefully mine will be happy long-term but only time will tell. its reef safe and doesn't get too large

It cruises around the tank fairly quickly

 

[mr_X]

fromia stars are difficult.

 

[slush]

this guy wants me to buy a brittle star with the bubbles on its legs, he says their safe and all but i hear they eat your fish so should i stay away from it

 

[mr_X]

they can eat your fish. there's always a possibility of that.