Newbie needs some stocking suggestions...

[adamatic]

I've got a 72gal bow with Orbit Extreme lighting and a GSM skimmer. I just added 50 lbs of LR last week and I'm preparing to add some hermit and emerald crabs and snails in a week or two. Ultimately, this will be a reef tank I'd like to stock with these fish, but I'd like to know if anyone has suggestions as far as compatibility and/or sequence:

Pajama Cardinalfish
Midas Blenny
Firefish Goby
Purple Firefish Goby
Red Fromia Starfish
Blue Linckia Starfish
and, some day, a Spotted Mandarinfish


Is this too much? I know most people add a tang for algae but I'm not that excited about the yellow or blue tangs... Thanks for the help!!!

[austinsdad]

Compatablity looks fine with those. Not too many fish at all either. You can even add a yellow eye kole tang for algae and still be OK on fish load IMO.

Maybe the gobies first so they can claim a "spot" before the bigger guys get there. I'd then do the blenny (one of my favs BTW) and the cardinal fish.

You got about another 50lbs of rock and some maturing of the tank before the mandarin of course. Check out a pistol shrimp and another goby also or in place of one of the others. Just make sure your rock is firmly planted on the tank bottom and not just on top of the sand.

[roka64]

I've never had one, but I hear Blue Linckia Starfish are hard to keep....Hopefully some one that has one mught pop in and give advice. I would suggest something like one of the pistol shrimp/gobies combo, for a little entertainment:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pCatId=31

per austinsdad:
pistol shrimp and another goby also or in place of one of the others

I'm thinking this too.....

[melosu58]

Blue licknias are not easy but if not exposed to air and slowly acclimated they will be OK. They are very sensitive to less than perfect water conditions. Whatever you DO Dont expose to air. Here is mine

[tecwzrd]

That is by far the best photo you have ever taken melosu58

All stars are very unforgiving when it comes to poor water quality IMO. Main thing to avoid is sudden changes in water parameters that can cause bacterial infections that may cause necrosis of its arms, or even death.

A QT setup to the lfs water parameters (usually lower then most at home) will help acclimate the star easier and you can slowly raise it to the mains sg/ph over the course of a week or two (usually around 1.025 for reef). Even drip acclimating for 4+ hours could be too stressful if coming from a considerably lower sg. (See this post for more)

I’d highly recommend waiting at least 4+ months before introducing any starfish to your system so your tank has time to mature and stabilize.

When doing a pwc it’s critical to match ph/sg/alk/temp to the main and properly aerate your SW mix for 24+ hours. I would also avoid doing more then 20% pwc at a time if housing star fish.

[adamatic]

Looks like I'm in for a long wait - I did a 20% PWC and now I have some algae on the sand...

Maybe some crabs and snails this weekend? How many per gallon?

[FishFrik]

This is abit off topic but since yall're talking about starfish. So all starfish cannot be exposed to air? I told my LFS that when i was buying a sand swifting star and they told me that's wrong. The guy held the starfish i was buying in the air for like 10 seconds to prove that he's right. I took the starfish home and it's been living in my tank for almost 2 weeks without any sign of illness. I just want to make sure i understand this right.

[Lemonsong]

Fishfrik,

I know exactically where your coming from...one guy at my LFS store held my marbled sea star out of the water for like 10 seconds and I just acclimated by drip for about an hour and a month later its still alive perfectly fine! Ohhh and by the way blue sea stars get big! I seen a huge one at the same LFS with an arm span of 7" and thats not even full grown! I love them but to big for my taste so I went with a pink/orange marbled sea star

[tecwzrd]

Whether or not a Sea Star can tolerate air exposure mostly has to do with where they come from in their natural environment. (intertidal versus deep sea)

Most Sea Stars hang out in the tidal zones and are used to frequent air exposure/sg changes and others will perish within hours if exposed to air too long or rapid sg changes too quickly.

If you have ever gone to an aquarium with a “tidal touch tank” you will see intertidal species of Sea Stars (Most common Pisaster ochraceus) in the touch tank and they are frequently exposed to air when being handled and do just fine.

Both the Sand Sifting Sea Star & Marble Sea Star can tolerate short exposures to air as most Sea Stars can but air exposure should be limited at all times for their general well being.

Just because a Sea Star that is exposed to air lives does not mean that being exposed to air does not put undo stress on them.

I’m sure you could be put under water for an extended amount of time and even suck in water and partially drown and still live although you would still be stressed by the experience.

That is why “generally” we try to limit air exposure for ALL sea stars not because some can tolerate it and some can’t but because they naturally come from the ocean and therefore should be kept in water and not exposed to air if at all possible.

Click here for more info on Sea Stars

[melosu58]

I was talking about the Blue Licknia Star. Liveaquaria says on its article about them that they should not be exposed to air. Yes I have had sand sifting stars and had them out in the air and they were OK. Blue Licknia`s are a different story though