Red Sea Star

[saltwater]

Is Fromia milleporella reef compatable? I dont want it to eat any softy corals!

 

[steelhealr]

Yes..but..how big is your tank? Most stars starve to death in small marine systems. When they die, they disintegrate quickly and can nuke your tank. Many stars eat sponges and their diet is not completely known. Unless you have a large tank that is mature and up and running for awhile, I would not recommend buying one. SH

 

[saltwater]

it will be some where between 33-40 US gallons with plenty of LR over the 1 pound per 1 gallon guide.

Or would marbled sea stars(Fromia sp.) be a better option for a tank this size?

 

[Opcn]

Nope, I would sugest you stick to brittle stars, and even better than those microbrittles, they will breed in your tank.

 

[saltwater]

But dont brittles grow up to 11 inches? and are brittles the same thing as serpants?

 

[steelhealr]

Saltwater, sea stars for the most part do NOT do well in small aquariums. The question you must ask yourself is this:

Is it worth having my beautiful marine tank that took me months to research, build and grow, die in a few short hours for the sake of pushing the envelope and keeping a star in my tank?

The answer is easy for me. Outside of 200 gallon marine tanks that have been established for over a year, MOST STARS STARVE TO DEATH in small marine tanks.

I"m not trying to be a PITA, just trying to save you heartache. SH

One star died within 2 weeks. We are learning you rarely get responsible or thoughtful answers or advice. <Regrettably, not a few LFS employees are more interested in your wallet than your success.> Apparently, by purchasing them, we unknowingly agreed to starve some if not all of our new pets. Unacceptable. There must be SOMETHING we can do....? <Read up on this site and elsewhere about the requirements for each of your critters. I heartily recommend Fenner & Calfo's "Reef Invertebrates." Also, for algae ID and control, try Julian Sprung's "Algae: A Problem Solver Guide."
Anyway, I noted someone else asked you about feeding stars already in captivity, but there was no definitive answer regarding whether, once the deed's done and you have a star, there's anything at all that can be done to keep it from starving. <It may take frozen Mysis and other frozen marine foods placed on the sand.>

 

[saltwater]

youre not a pain at all! I appreciate your input, I wouldnt be here if I wasnt willing to listen to advice other people give.

I just didnt know that stars dont do well in tanks under 200 gallons, and opcn reccomended brittles for a tank this size so i just tohught it would be ok since a knowledgeable member like himself reccomended it.

 

[steelhealr]

A brittle might do OK. I got a small one as a hitchhiker and I spot feed it. The only thing tho'...many brittles like to stay under rocks and frags and you don't see them well at all. Look up a tuxedo urchin. SH