Starfish For 33gal

[Riley]

Hi, I want to buy a starfish for my 33gallon. I have no corals yet..but I definately wish to keep some in the near future. If anyone could recomend a small star that would be nice

-Riley

 

[Lynden]

Well you do have those orange spot polyps. If i were going to buy a star, i would buy a Fromia monilis (orange star) or a chocolate chip star, since i know these would go into smaller tanks. Reef stars are very weak, since they lack the regeneration abilities of other stars. You need near perfect water conditions to keep them alive, as well as an extensive supply of things to eat.

Starfishes do not eat in a conventional method, they invert their stomachs into a molluscs shell and digest the contents. So if you buy a star, you cant have bivalves. Also, you must give them mussel meat or a similiar meaty food. Have a good supply of this.

I am planning to purchase one after we move, it has to be after we move 1) because my tank is not yet mature, 2), if you take them out of the water they will nearly always die, and 3) any change in the water chemistry of any kind is not tolerated by the starfish. If they die, they may drag other animals down with it, since they release toxins into the water.

If you are willing to commit to one, then be my guest. The are wonderful animals if taken care of properly.

-Lynden

 

[superman]

Starfish do not take changes in habitat very well, so temp fluctuations, ph fluctuations, salinity fluctuations..etc. can be very hard on them. Such a small tank as a home for a starfish may be very difficult to keep stable enough to sustain a starfish, personally I would not try it on such a small tank.

 

[Riley]

Okay good to know. Maybe i'll give it a go someday once I move my fish into my 77gallon or something.
thanks

-Riley

 

[superman]

Good choice, any other inhabitants you are wondering about?

 

[Riley]

umm..I have a pair of skunk cleaner shrimp in my tank right now. I kind of want to get a pistol shrimp and a yellow watchman gobie pair. Are the skunks and the pistol shrimp compatable? and if so would this be over stalking for shrimp in my tank?

 

[superman]

Should be just fine with two cleaner shrimp, watchmand and pistol.

 

[Riley]

Okay cool. What exactly do watchman gobies eat?

-Riley

 

[superman]

Some can be finnicky eaters, make sure that you see the one you want eat at the pet store, mine eats everything I feed, whether it be flake, pellet, mysis, whatever.

 

[Riley]

okay thanks

-Riley

 

[Lynden]

I have ordered a yellowtail blue damsel, a blue gugdeon, and a watchman goby from my LFS. They are intended for a nano, however i am planning to keep 1 or 2 of these animals. I cant do it yet since the little moray is still in the reef. If for some reason these animals will not fit into my plans, you can have the watchman if you want Riley.

Okay, i will now hijack this topic and ask: What do gugdeons eat? Are they a goby? If not, what the flipper are these things?

-Lynden

Oh yeah, could a starfish go in a 55 gallon?

 

[Riley]

allright maybe I will aslong as the price isn't huge.

-Riley