Hi...I posted this under my main thread but thought it might be interesting for others to see. We all remember seeing 'starfish' at the beach and dried specimens in souvenir shops in tropical resorts. Well, they are available for marine tanks. However, there are some advantages and disadvantages to having them. There are many types out there and you must research them well.
Advantages
1) Beautiful to look at
2) Can eat detritus and algae
Disadvantages
1) May not be reefsafe
2) Can eat your inverts or trap fish
3) Difficult to keep..may waste away from malnutrition
4) Some may knock over corals
5) Very intolerant of changes in water parameters including s.g., pH, nitrates and any medication with copper.
As you can see, disadvantages outweigh the advantages. However, some marine aquarists have luck keeping certain species. For my nano, I chose a fromia species. My intention was to get fromia milleporella but I ended up with fromia indica, also known as the Red and Black Sea Star or Indian Sea Star. This species can have 4-6 arms but generally has five. It is red with 'plates' that are outlined with black lines. The tips of the arms are darkened and may be black.
Fromias subsist on algae, detritus and in the wild may subsist on sponges. It was acclimated for almost 4 hours and has survived well. The star has kept mostly to the underneath surface of the LR and also substrate. I'll post back from time to time with it's survival track record. SH
Advantages
1) Beautiful to look at
2) Can eat detritus and algae
Disadvantages
1) May not be reefsafe
2) Can eat your inverts or trap fish
3) Difficult to keep..may waste away from malnutrition
4) Some may knock over corals
5) Very intolerant of changes in water parameters including s.g., pH, nitrates and any medication with copper.
As you can see, disadvantages outweigh the advantages. However, some marine aquarists have luck keeping certain species. For my nano, I chose a fromia species. My intention was to get fromia milleporella but I ended up with fromia indica, also known as the Red and Black Sea Star or Indian Sea Star. This species can have 4-6 arms but generally has five. It is red with 'plates' that are outlined with black lines. The tips of the arms are darkened and may be black.
Fromias subsist on algae, detritus and in the wild may subsist on sponges. It was acclimated for almost 4 hours and has survived well. The star has kept mostly to the underneath surface of the LR and also substrate. I'll post back from time to time with it's survival track record. SH
