Blue Linikia Stars and Long Spine Urchins

[Anonymous]

Do these two creatures compete for the same food source? If I have a blue star, should I avoid the urchin? TIA for your responses.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey, Chris. If you have a blue L that is thriving I would hold off on the urchin. The urchins will eat whatever they can scrape up and in doing so will disturb/eat some of the foodsource of the Blue L. They may do well in the same tank but I would not risk a healthy Blue Linckia star for an urchin. JMHO

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with Andy. Urchins will directly compete for the linkia's food source. They do it rapidly, and can eat throught coralline algae right down to the bare rock. Which reminds me, mine is getting wayy too big, and he is starting to annoy my star polyps...do you want him? LOL

 

[Anonymous]

The blue L is way cool, IMO. I would Love to have one that actually lives.

~wings~

 

[Anonymous]

From what I've read on linkia, they really require a LOT of live rock for grazing. As I recall, about 100 pounds worth of rock PER starfish, to keep them fat n sassy. More is better, obviously. No competitors! That means snails, too

 

[WRASSER]

WOW, im in trouble, i have a huge blue and a couple of snails and blue legs the snails stay on the glass most of the time. that is also the reason i probably lost my red and purple one. ouch

 

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity what is the food source for the linka? Just regular algae??? cyano bacteria?? *hope hope hope*

 

[sediener]

Hi,

I recently (2 months ago or so) picked up a purple-tipped orange linkia and have a few questions...

Is a partial loss of a leg a bad sign or just a clumsy starfish?
How can you tell if it is doing well (besides not dying)?
What does it eat in the wild?
Can/should I target feed it? (I have just been assuming that it picked up leftovers from the fish feedings)

It is in a 120G tank with ~100lbs of LR. (2 urchins and pile of snails and hermits) There are a lot of algae competitors but then again my tank has a lot of food...

thanks,
- Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity what is the food source for the linka? Just regular algae??? cyano bacteria?? *hope hope hope*

Not cyano. LOL nice try, though They are simple, old fashioned, slime grazers. They eat detritus, bacteria, and other microscopic tasties Click HERE to read more.

Hi,

I recently (2 months ago or so) picked up a purple-tipped orange linkia and have a few questions...
Is a partial loss of a leg a bad sign or just a clumsy starfish?
How can you tell if it is doing well (besides not dying)?
What does it eat in the wild?
Can/should I target feed it? (I have just been assuming that it picked up leftovers from the fish feedings)
It is in a 120G tank with ~100lbs of LR. (2 urchins and pile of snails and hermits) There are a lot of algae competitors but then again my tank has a lot of food...thanks,
- Steve

Steve, sounds good, but you do not need to target feed it. Click on the link I just posted, and scroll down until you see the Linkia info. Read until you cannot see straight! Wetwebmedia is an amazing place to find the info you need, plus a lot more

 

[Anonymous]

Another good article:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... toonen.htm

Please read. What do Linckias eat? The short answer is that no one really knows for sure. Something that's on live rock.

Provide them plenty of it, start with a healthy specimen, and have some good luck. I take care of a tank with a 4 year old Linckia--he just feeds the fish every day and that's about it.:?[/list]

 

[Anonymous]

Not cyano. LOL nice try, though They are simple, old fashioned, slime grazers. They eat detritus, bacteria, and other microscopic tasties Click HERE to read more.

But Cyano is bacteria... and its also called red slime algae.. *pout* you're not playing fair

 

[Anonymous]

Not cyano. LOL nice try, though They are simple, old fashioned, slime grazers. They eat detritus, bacteria, and other microscopic tasties Click HERE to read more.

But Cyano is bacteria... and its also called red slime algae.. *pout* you're not playing fair

All ice cream is not created equal :twisted: I love double fudge chocolate, but I hate pistachio... But hey, it's all ice cream, right?
NOT! :lol:

I guess starfish only like the good bacteria, and not the evil, double-crossing, low-life, slime bacteria

 

[Mihai]

I agree with Andy. Urchins will directly compete for the linkia's food source. They do it rapidly, and can eat throught coralline algae right down to the bare rock. Which reminds me, mine is getting wayy too big, and he is starting to annoy my star polyps...do you want him? LOL

I can hardly find advice more wrong and authoritative at the same time. How can you be so sure they compete for the same stuff when you have no idea what either of them eat?

FIY I have a thriving blue linkia and a red fromia competing with each others and two sea urchins (one long spines, one purple). All four are fine. The tank is a 90gal + 20 gal fuge + 20 gal sump.

M.

 

[Anonymous]

And I had a cleaner Wrasse for a couple of years.

There is always diffs in our tanks and sometimes it is better to not take a chance if you don't have to. The urchin will eat anything in its path so it is bound to suck up some of the stars food whatever that might be.

 

[Mihai]

And I had a cleaner Wrasse for a couple of years.

There is always diffs in our tanks and sometimes it is better to not take a chance if you don't have to. The urchin will eat anything in its path so it is bound to suck up some of the stars food whatever that might be.

Hmmm... so you had to buy that cleaner wrasse?

Also, the idea the the urchin will eat everything in is path is simply wrong. I had many say that it will eat M. capricornis, but mine didn't touch mine at all. It also doesn't eat Ulva sp. algae except on ocasions...
Furthermore, there are actually three different species of long spine urchins (Diadema sp.) that are commonly available. It's likely that they have (slightly) different feeding habits, so I don't discount other accounts of nasty urchins.

I agree that not knowing exactly what they eat and need it is risky to put them together, but from risky to clear assertions is a far way. That's what got me set - I'm not saying he should get it, I'm saying that we should not give advice if we're not sure of something...

Finally, I like my long spine urchin at least as much as my blue L. (if not more)... but that's me.


M.S.

 

[Anonymous]

We have a better idea of what Blue L don't eat - coral and macro algae for example. It is for certain that the urchins remove/consume whatever biofilm they feed over. If someone is lucky enough to have them thrive together that's great.

Everyone offers advice based on their research and exp - it will have diffs so it is up to the person that poses the question to sort through it and make choices they and their animals will have to live with.

 

[Mihai]

Andy,

I have no problem with stating your advice and experience if you have some. I find you advice well worded and moderate. However, I found unleashed's advice out of place. I really wonder if he has any experience with either the blue L. or the Diadema urchin.

Mihai

 

[Anonymous]

Uh..."she".

 

[Mihai]

You're right: looking at the avatar it is obvious that it lacks... hmmm...
"extras".

M.