Protoreaster Nodosus

[chrissaysyes]

Would a 2.5" Chocolate Chip Star be ok in a 14g tank? Feeding would consist of Mysis or chopped silversides every other day.

 

[Lynden]

Yeah but it might eat your seahorses, and anything else it happens to run over.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Yeah about those seahorses....

 

[steelhealr]

No. Sea stars do not belong in nano tanks. SH

 

[chrissaysyes]

That was pretty blunt heh, what's the reason for that? I figured an omnivore would do well since I could target feed it rather than adding a linckea or some other detrivore to watch it search my one rock for food before starving to death.

 

[Lynden]

No. Sea stars do not belong in nano tanks. SH

Once again SH I completely disagree. That is a blanket statement; in reality, choco chip stars are as hardy as most of the fish we keep. A predatory starfish in a 14 gallon is a totally reasonable proposition.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Welp, too late for argument now, we'll just have to see. He's in there now after a 5 hour acclimation.

 

[Lynden]

WHOA, 5 hours? Talk about taking one's time... my chocolate chip star fell into the tank after only 15 minute acclimation. They really are hardy.

 

[chrissaysyes]

I was really busy with other stuff and I wanted to be sure things went as smoothly as possible. My girlfriend bought him so I didnt want to risk anything happening to him

 

[Donya]

Once again SH I completely disagree. That is a blanket statement; in reality, choco chip stars are as hardy as most of the fish we keep. A predatory starfish in a 14 gallon is a totally reasonable proposition.

I think the bigger problem is in the "what if it does die" category given that the tank is stocked with other animals, even if the species is hardy. A dead fish has a bit wider time frame to be discovered and removed before it turns into mush. If the tank's hooked up to a huge sump it would not be too big an issue, but otherwise it's a risk.

 

[Lynden]

But by that logic we should not keep anything in our tanks because there is the slight risk it will die and pollute.

 

[Donya]

But by that logic we should not keep anything in our tanks because there is the slight risk it will die and pollute.

If the policy was to not remove any dead things when they're clearly dead, then you're correct lol. However, if you don't find a fish for a day, and then find it dead at the end of the next day and take it out, it won't have done the same amount of pollution as a dead starfish might have simply because the fish would't have started turning into jelly yet. The decomposition rate is what put me off starfish in smaller sump-less tanks a long time ago, because I haven't seen much of anything that starts falling apart as fast. If the tank has a water volume that can handle the extra load, or the tank is checked daily to make sure the echinoderms are accounted for, it's less of an issue. Basically, you shouldn't put something (be it a sea cucumber or feather Caulerpa - which I know SH doens't like either lol) in your tank if the tank isn't set up to handle an brief accident involving that thing. If your tank can handle the accident, then it's a non-issue.

 

[chrissaysyes]

This is a tank that doesnt go without people gazing into it for more than a few hours. Not to mention this is also the same tank that I started off with marine in...that being the same tank that I killed my first anemone in...I know all too well how easy it is to poison a small tank. If THAT is the main reason not to do this then I think I'll be just fine

 

[1entra]

Let us know how you get on with the choc chip starfish

 

[chrissaysyes]

So far so good, my girlfriend has named him Chippy