Tip of the Day – 12/15/2014

Starfish are staple invertebrates of the marine aquarium hobby, and while many adapt well to life in captivity, not all of them are suited to dwell in a captive reef. Starfish like the chocolate chip star, sand sifting star, and various brittle stars are all known to thrive in specific reef settings, but they along with the Linckia starfish and many others are very sensitive to water parameters and have specific enough diets that they don’t always thrive. Linckias are known to do very poorly, yet they and other questionable stars continue to be imported into the trade and purchased by hobbyists. We don’t recommend owning a starfish unless you have a mature, thriving reef that can feed such a voracious organisms. Avoid linckia and basket starts at all costs, and if you must have a starfish, the black brittle stars seem to be your best bet.