Starfish

[minkin]

I'm looking into getting a starfish for my 30g fowlr.

I want to know if anyone could give me any advice on what to get and what to stay away from?

Would a brittle starfish be ok?

 

[Rutledge17]

You might not get to see your brittle starfish very often as they tend to be nocturnal and come out mostly at night. I have a chocolate chip starfish who is very active and out at all hours. I would also advise staying away from a linckia starfish as they are very fragile and hard To care for.

 

[Lucasb625]

Get and african red starfish. They are beautiful. I had one in a reef tank but we had to take it back because it ate 2 corals.

 

[minkin]

I'm not too bothered about if I can see it or not, just as long as its doing its job I'm happy.

I would want a brittle star. I see there are different colors and kinds.

Which brittle star is the best?

And won't hurt my fish or shrimps, crabs and snails?

 

[TangoTank]

Chocolate Chip Star but be careful w/ lil fish, they may kill them! And if you ever plan to have a reef tank, they're no good. So think about down the road when you choose your star. Good luck!

 

[mr_X]

A chocolate chip isn't fast enough to catch a fish, but a green brittle star makes a trap for small fish out of it's body.
What job did you need your brittle starfish to do? If you have large hunks of meaty foods on the sand bed and in the rocks (this is what they eat) you need new feeding habits. if you purchase a starfish, you will need to feed it. Make no mistake, this is something you will need to provide food for. it will not eat fish poop or algae.

 

[TangoTank]

A small sleeping fish off their guard... IJS
It is a nano tank

 

[minkin]

Mr X,

No I don't have food left over on the sand bed and rocks. I feed so no food is leftover.

What will it eat then? I was hoping it will clean up my tank a little? Am I mistaken?

I know I will have to feed it aswell.

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Chocolates are scavengers and will eat stuff on bottom of tank and glass. They do need meaty foods tho. I used to feed my chocolate krill and anything from seafood depo at store. I'd threw it in some tank water and garlic. The hold it between the chocolates stomach and glass. They'll take care of it from there. If you're looking for a cuc, I'd get some turbo snails and a handful of crabs. Not sure if a conch will fit in your tank, but they're my favorite when it comes to cuc. Goodluck! Oh and Mr_X knows his stuff... So ditto on what he says.

 

[minkin]

Chocolates are scavengers and will eat stuff on bottom of tank and glass. They do need meaty foods tho. I used to feed my chocolate krill and anything from seafood depo at store. I'd threw it in some tank water and garlic. The hold it between the chocolates stomach and glass. They'll take care of it from there. If you're looking for a cuc, I'd get some turbo snails and a handful of crabs. Not sure if a conch will fit in your tank, but they're my favorite when it comes to cuc. Goodluck! Oh and Mr_X knows his stuff... So ditto on what he says.

Thanks for the info.

I already have 5 snails and 5 hermit crabs.

Do you think I need more than that?

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

All depends on your algae and what other fish you have in the tank. You could get away with a few more of each, but you don't want then to starve. Also remember that you need to freshen up on you cuc every so often, as they will kill each other off.