We just got our first residents in our 24 Gallon Nano, our cleanup crew! We bought a starfish that looks like a pink cookie with leather stampings on it. It has been crawling around on the live rock but I am wondering if it needs supplemental food. If anyone knows what kind of starfish we got (we forgot the name and it wasn't on the reciept) and what it might eat and especially HOW to feed it I would be soooooo greatful! :question:
How and what do you feed starfish?
- Thread starter AuntKaren
- Start date
Thanks for the quick reply jhnrb! I have been researching for a week and at last I found the identity of my starfish but I still would like instructions on how to feed my FROMIA starfish. What does he eat? How can I tell that he is getting enough? Is he herbivore or omnivore? He is in a 25 Gallon Nano along with an electric blue hermit, a halloween hermit , a red hermit a skunk cleaner shrimp and 7 snails. They have all been in the tank for only a week and everything seems to be thriving. The shrimp even moulted last night!
I just want to be sure that the starfish remains healthy and happy. He moves around the tank alot and has no white spots of decay or anything. If he needs to be fed then how often do you suggest? If I do need to feed him what is the tecnique? I tried just placing a tiny piece of fish near him just under one of his legs but he ignored it completely. The crab loved it about an hour later though.
MUCH thanks for your quick reply! :bowdown:
I just want to be sure that the starfish remains healthy and happy. He moves around the tank alot and has no white spots of decay or anything. If he needs to be fed then how often do you suggest? If I do need to feed him what is the tecnique? I tried just placing a tiny piece of fish near him just under one of his legs but he ignored it completely. The crab loved it about an hour later though.
MUCH thanks for your quick reply! :bowdown:
Last edited:
minireefer
Reefing newb
welcome to the forum.
Most are omnivores. If there is insufficient algae growth in the aquarium, the diet should be supplemented with flaked foods, and small pieces of fish or mussel.You can try sticking a tawed out cube of frozen food right under its middle.On how often you need to supliments depend on how much natural food is available.Maybe once a week
Most are omnivores. If there is insufficient algae growth in the aquarium, the diet should be supplemented with flaked foods, and small pieces of fish or mussel.You can try sticking a tawed out cube of frozen food right under its middle.On how often you need to supliments depend on how much natural food is available.Maybe once a week
Thank you! He seems really happy he moves about over the live rock and stays awhile over especially juicy areas I suppose. I was told that I can expect him to live maybe a year because he doesn't have enough live rock (they said 100 lbs) is that a reasonable bit of information? We plan to get a larger tank next year about a 125 to 150 gal but we wanted to start the nano first.
-Fromia monillis (Elegant sea star (marble star.
indo pacific - possibly feeds on sponges: will not eat most meaty foods.
-Fromia Milleporella - Porous sea star (marble star, elegant sea star)
Indo pacific - Primarily feed on live sponges; may scavenge a bit. may eat frozen sponge rations.
Fromia ghardqana - Ghardaqana sea star (red sea marble star)
Red Sea, Mauritius. - Diet unknown, possibly eats sponges.
Fromia nodosa - Nodous sea star (marble star)
Indo pacific - primarily feed on live sponges; may scavenge a bit. may eat frozen sponge rations.
So can you tell me which Fromia you have. if so I will try and post more information for you. try to feed some frozen sponge to the star. make sure it is thawed out 1st and hopefully you can find some with consistency to it. give me the name of the one you have and I will post more information. good luck. hope this helps.
indo pacific - possibly feeds on sponges: will not eat most meaty foods.
-Fromia Milleporella - Porous sea star (marble star, elegant sea star)
Indo pacific - Primarily feed on live sponges; may scavenge a bit. may eat frozen sponge rations.
Fromia ghardqana - Ghardaqana sea star (red sea marble star)
Red Sea, Mauritius. - Diet unknown, possibly eats sponges.
Fromia nodosa - Nodous sea star (marble star)
Indo pacific - primarily feed on live sponges; may scavenge a bit. may eat frozen sponge rations.
So can you tell me which Fromia you have. if so I will try and post more information for you. try to feed some frozen sponge to the star. make sure it is thawed out 1st and hopefully you can find some with consistency to it. give me the name of the one you have and I will post more information. good luck. hope this helps.
I just got back from the LFS where we got the starfish. The fish guy told us that it was called a "Pink Tile" starfish. I did some research online and found just a picture of a pink tile starfish and it does look very similar to what we have, however the picture posted on an online fish sale place (I am not sure if I am allowed to state the name on the posting board) showed the exact picture of what we purchased and THEY are selling it as a Fromia. They gave no more species information at the picture or in the descriptive portion.
I did ask the LFS guy what and how to feed the starfish and he did tell me that it is an omnivore and if I place a small piece of fish under the center it will eat that portion.
Our LFS guy does have 20 years experience and, on more than one occasion, has told us that it wasn't necessary to buy the items that we were asking about (ie additives or specific expensive food) but he gave us information on what we could do with our current resources. So far he hasn't steered us wrong. Are we lucky or what?!?! He's not out to SELL to us but to help us keep what we do purchase from him or from whomever healthy.
If you are interested in knowing where the picture of our starfish is just leave a post here letting me know if it's ok to put the name of a different online LF site or ask me to email the name to you and you can see whether I am getting decent information or not.
Thank you so much for your time. You are earning my trust as a knowledgable source, mister! (or maam?)
I did ask the LFS guy what and how to feed the starfish and he did tell me that it is an omnivore and if I place a small piece of fish under the center it will eat that portion.
Our LFS guy does have 20 years experience and, on more than one occasion, has told us that it wasn't necessary to buy the items that we were asking about (ie additives or specific expensive food) but he gave us information on what we could do with our current resources. So far he hasn't steered us wrong. Are we lucky or what?!?! He's not out to SELL to us but to help us keep what we do purchase from him or from whomever healthy.
If you are interested in knowing where the picture of our starfish is just leave a post here letting me know if it's ok to put the name of a different online LF site or ask me to email the name to you and you can see whether I am getting decent information or not.
Thank you so much for your time. You are earning my trust as a knowledgable source, mister! (or maam?)
well Im glad your lfs is helping you. I was under the impression you tried fish and the star would not take it. so, the various stars mentioned before are suspected of being sponge eaters in nature. so try the fish again as the lfs told you and make sure it is not frozen when you put it in. I assume the lfs also gave you information on how ofter to feed and how much. any further questions post here and we will try and help. good luck with your star. Hope you enjoy the site.
Final note: I finally did enough research to discover that the starfish is, indeed in the Fromia class. Unfortunately I was too late to figure that out and the poor thing died. He was in a tank that was far too small to support his needs. So I learnec NOT to buy something that I have not researched well especially to know what it's needs are. :frustrat:
My message to others is be sure you know how to care for and what the needs are of that "awesome critter" you just know would be great in your tank. You may save the life of the critter by not including it in your collection.
Thanks for all your effort JR!
My message to others is be sure you know how to care for and what the needs are of that "awesome critter" you just know would be great in your tank. You may save the life of the critter by not including it in your collection.
Thanks for all your effort JR!
