Linckia Sea Star,

[rrobbieboy]

does anyone know how to care for a blue Linckia Sea Star?

[Sk8r]

Nobody does. They manage to survive in very large, OLD tanks. THey eat, apparently, the slime-film on old rocks.

[rrobbieboy]

is there anything yoou can add to you water to help them out.

[rrobbieboy]

i had my fair share of things die and i rufuse to let it happen anymore

[Angel*Fish]

Then you probably need to find a home for it. The LFS sells LOTS of animals that should be left in the ocean, are only for experts or are only for people with 1000g tanks. You have to do your research on your own, because they aren't going to say, "This animal doomed to stave in your tank"

I'm sorry this happened to you, good luck.

[Angel*Fish]

Here's a link from an old thread, scroll down to the last post on the first page http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85361 HTH

[Palting]

Mine lasted 2 weeks. He ended up wrapping himslef around a rock with a resident BTA, and was dead the next day. Here's a pic of mine, and here's a link on care: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+528+568&pcatid=568 . Good luck!

http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab71/Kalawing/Aquarium/IMG_0532.jpg

[Angel*Fish]

Mine lasted 2 weeks. He ended up wrapping himslef around a rock with a resident BTA, and was dead the next day. Here's a pic of mine, and here's a link on care: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+528+568&pcatid=568 . Good luck!

Not really much about the care of them in that link at all. It does give some acclimation info. If you acclimate it well it has a very good chance of living long enough to starve over the course of about a year, depending on your tank.

[cjtice]

Mine has lasted in mt 99 for almost 3 years but I am 99% positive he is smaller now than he was 3 years ago. I have tried all types of prepared foods with him and nothing seems to entice him to eat.

He has been very hardy, surviving a tank crash that took out all my fish and 50% of my corals. Also I do notice that he likes sponges of some sort. Everytime I put a new rock or anything in the tank, he is the first one on it and normally will have his "central disc" buried in one of the crevices getting something. I have seen him sit on the same rock in the same place for days.

If I had it to do over, I would not have bought it, but I was slightly ignorant and thought it was the prettiest thing I had ever seen!

[Reeferhead]

I had one last 4+ years in a 60 gal slowly getting smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared.

[rrobbieboy]

I had one last 4+ years in a 60 gal slowly getting smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared.


anything special you did

[Aqua81 CA]

I've had mine for about 4 years now. i have a 150 gal, 30 gal sump, 25 gal refugium. Apparently he likes to eat something in my tank - If i knew that they were hard to keep i probably wouldnt have purchased it.

[rrobbieboy]

I've had mine for about 4 years now. i have a 150 gal, 30 gal sump, 25 gal refugium. Apparently he likes to eat something in my tank - If i knew that they were hard to keep i probably wouldnt have purchased it.

whats the special suace in the tank. lol

[brannock_16]

Aren't the red linkia stars much more hardy than the blues?

[Angel*Fish]

There is no sauce. If you read that post by Ophiuroid I linked to above, you will have your answer. It's less a mystery that we need to solve than a near impossibility to feed them in most tanks. She makes it very clear in her post what they need and eat.

Here's a link from an old thread, scroll down to the last post on the first page http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85361 HTH

[Sk8r]

Don't trust your lfs, I'd say, if they have sold a new hobbyist such a creature: come to RC and ask before buying, and we will tell you whether or not it's a good bet for a new tank.

[Reeferhead]

anything special you did

Nothing... but I wouldn't consider 4 years of a slow death a successful way to keep any animal. My suggestion is to leave them on the reef until someone with more experience than either of us figures out their needs.

I actually ordered a mottled linkia which is supposed to be more hardy but they were out so they sent a blue as a replacement without telling me first. :rolleyes: