New addition and a few questions.

[SquishyFish]

I was at the LFS today getting water (still havent hooked up the RO machine )...They had some red star fish there that I had never seen before. And as long as I have been doing this..thats saying a lot. So..being the responsible reefer, I called my wife at work and had her run a search on it while I talked to the LFS guy about them. They are called Bali Red Starfish. He said that they eat flake that may settle to the bottom and any other food they can find. So..basically like a brittle. Kim called back..she said the same thing with one exception....it gave the impression that they may eat pods as well. So, with the amount of rock we have, I was pretty confident that it wouldnt cause any problems. I specifically asked if they were sand sifters...he said no, and the short research my wife found mentioned nothing about sand sifting.

I got a little concerened when I asked about how to buffer Kalk. (I have always used a two part additive and am new to kalk) He told me to top off the tank with DKH

So...My question is...Does anyone know anything about Bali Red starfish. The scientific name I am finding on line is Echinaster luzonicus, but I cant really find any specific info on what kind of diet they require.

I will post a pic of it tonight if my camera is working.

Thanks guys (sorry for the long post)

Squishy

 

[steve-s]

Echinaster luzonicus is actually fine for a reef tank. They are not at all like a brittle star and will not forage for flake or anything similar, pods included. They are microfilm algae/detritus scavengers just like Fromia sp and Linkia sp. Probabley not as hard to acclimate but can be difficult to provide food for in a newer set up.

If you feel the 175 has sufficient natural food sources for a star of this type, you should be just fine.

Cheers
Steve

 

[SquishyFish]

Well, my Blue Link has been fine for over a year now, so I would think this guy will do fine as well. Thanks!