Posts Tagged ‘starfish’

There are thousands of different types of sea stars that come in all shape’s sizes and colors. All of them share certain features such as they have no heart or circulatory system, and they have an internal hydraulic system of many thousand valves and pipes. All have a “tube foot” used for movement and to capture food. Certain species of sea stars can be great additions to your reef tank because they eat detritus and other waste in the tank.

Acclimation of starfish is a very involved process. These animals should be acclimated for a minimum six (6) hours and 8 to 10 is better with a slow drip process. This will promote a healthy long life for your sea star. All starfish hail from full salinity waters of 35-38ppt. This is important, they will not fair well in waters below 35ppt. Also, it is very important when you are starting the acclimation process, that these animals are not exposed to air.

It is very important to remember that not all species of star fish are reef safe. I’ll try to compile a list of reef safe sea stars, but this can be confusing as certain types of sea stars are reef safe, but have subspecies that are not compatible.