Burgandy Starfish

[marty55904]

Hi, I bought a burgandy sea star about a week ago. The LFS recommended frozen brine shrimp. I can't seem to get him to eat, though my damsels love the stuff :wink: anyway I was just wondering if anyone knows any tricks, or anything. Any help would be most appreciated

Thank you!

 

[LFS42]

Most stars are scavengers.
The only ones I've acually seen take food was a brittle star.
The rest just kinda eat during the night.

 

[Anonymous]

Is the bring shrimp lying on the bottom next to the star?
You might try feeding at night to avoid the damsels...

 

[Will C1]

put the food under the star. mine climb to the top of the tank and expose their stomachs to me and i drop mysis shrimp or what ever i have and they eat it very well.

 

[ophiuroid]

If it is a typical burgandy star, then it is a reef safe star, and will not typically respond to any spot feeding, unlike chocolate chip, generals, bahama, etc stars. They do not eat detritus, or anything of the sort. They are not scavengers. They must have a lot of mature LR in a large tank (75g- 100lbs) min for long term success, and without other similar species of star (other reef safe forms). The tank should be at least 6 months old. They require a very slow drip acclimation, and are very sensitive to any changes in water parameters. If the animal appears to melt in the next month, it died of salinity shock. Most die within a year, of starvation, unless in a very large tank.

Can you find a picture, for a positive ID? Generally, if it doesn't have big knobs on it, it is probably a Tamaria or Echinaster sp. Reef safe. No spot feeding works in most cases.

 

[tendar]

ophiuroid is correct they dont take to direct feeding in fact they are mostly algea eaters not meat eaters.
This one I have had for almost a year and has slowly gotten a little a smaller over time in my 37. I will be putting up a 130 in the next few months that it will be moving into and will hopfully start getting bigger again. This pic was takem almost a year ago.

 

[Anonymous]

Brine shrimp is Not Food!....period,,,,.thats my opinion

 

[marty55904]

Thank you! For the help. The picture that Tendar posted is identical to my star! So he just eats aglae then? Do you mean the algae on the rocks & glass, or as in dried algae from the store? He must be eating something cause I've had him about 10 days and seems to be doing ok.

Thanks again