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Coral Vue Hydros

Offical Starfish (Fromia) Thread


bobioden

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Originally posted by Fishfreak218

hey bobioden i just checked that link in your sig. and realized that your tank is the tank that inspired me to start a reef tank..your tank looks great and saved me from doing a FOWLR...that would have been a mistake...anyway thank you..

 

Your Welcome, Thank for the very nice words. I am glad I was able to inspire you in some way. If you need any assistance, I am here to help. The best way to learn is through others.

 

Bob

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Well Bob, you have now offically cured me of wanting to put one these in my tank. (and I really, really wanted one too, but then I really, really want an octopus in there as well. I suppose my chances for long term success are just as likely for both)

You were making it look like it could be done for a long while there.

Anyone have an idea of what the lifespan of these are supposed to be?

 

p.s. your tank does look incredible.

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Without trying to hijack bobiodens' thread, I initially posted an ID request to RShimek over at RC. He ID'd mine as a fromia indica and stated that they ate sponges, they usually starve in captivity, then wished me luck with it. Bob..you really inspired me too (and you DO have a great tank)..but..I may have to put the fromia desires away for now. I think it is a tribute to your tank care and maintenance that the fromia lived this long. Kudos.SH

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  • 4 weeks later...

After 5 months... I'm out too

 

Today my fromia indica started falling apart :*( Yesterday I noticed the tip of one leg looked 'frayed' and today half the leg is gone... Disintegration - I wouldnt wish it upon my worst enemy.

 

I guess we chose to learn our lesson the hard way folks... X)

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well.. I'm pleased to note that a glimmer of hope remains...

 

Three days ago I thought starfish was on his way out so transferred him to the Q tank where he could disintegrate in peace.. but lo and behold, the starfish hasnt got any worse, and even looks to be healing (the open end of his broken leg has closed up). I felt sorry for the lil guy in my bare q-tank so he's back in the display.

 

So maybe it was an injury to the starfish? perhaps my new hermit munched on his leg? or he got injured while I was moving rocks around in the display? fingers crossed he continues to improve... I'll keep this thread updated

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To bobioden...so....where from here? Do we give up on stars in our nano cubes? Are you going to add another? The majority of posts/threads say stars don't do well in small systems. However, looks like I have a hitchhiker brittle star under one of my brain frags. Having had one rapidly disintegrate in my tank (my fromia indica), I can tell you they are toxic. Input? SH

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CGNano - thanks (BTW its Carl-y, ;) Im a girl!)

 

So far my fromia is still doing fine back in the display..

 

SH - In my experience, brittle stars are pretty hardy. I had several hitch hiking brittle stars survive my cycle. Some of them are still alive today. they tend to be alot easier to feed - the ones in my system readily accept any meaty sort of food im feeding (shrimp, clam, brine etc).

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Carl Y..lol..thanks..you're definitely right about that. The arms from this brittle star come from underneath my favites frag and READILY grabs any mysis or enriched brine shrimp that passes hit arms. It's one of the frustrations of running a small system...we can't put EVERYTHING in we'd like. Who knows..maybe I'll try a different star in the near future after researching it out a bit. SH

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Im glad I came across this thread. I was seriously considering adding a fromia (similar to bobioden's) to my 20g after seeing one in a friends 300g reef. But after reading the many disappointing outcomes I have decided against it. Thank you bobioden for beginning a very informative thread, im sure it will either inspire or deter many anxious reefists. And also thanks to steelhealr with regards to the information about possible toxicity of a dying fromia. Bobioden, did you have any coral loss after the death of your fromia?

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Originally posted by NepTuNe-UsD

Im glad I came across this thread. I was seriously considering adding a fromia (similar to bobioden's) to my 20g after seeing one in a friends 300g reef. But after reading the many disappointing outcomes I have decided against it. Thank you bobioden for beginning a very informative thread, im sure it will either inspire or deter many anxious reefists. And also thanks to steelhealr with regards to the information about possible toxicity of a dying fromia. Bobioden, did you have any coral loss after the death of your fromia?

 

It too wish he would have make it, as he was a really cool animal. I never saw any ill effects or coral loss with the death of the Fromia. I actually never really saw the majority of the body. I found bits and pieces of the legs but never the main center. Who knows he might still be alive and hiding.

 

Bob

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...about 30% of my zoos closed down. Most recovered however, they lost color in the 'eyes'. I'll try and take a pic. They probably dumped their zooxanthellae under stress and never got the color back. SH

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Originally posted by steelhealr

...about 30% of my zoos closed down. Most recovered however, they lost color in the 'eyes'. I'll try and take a pic. They probably dumped their zooxanthellae under stress and never got the color back. SH

 

Thanks for the replies bobioden and steelhealr. Im in a bit of a dilemma now. Today I helped a friend out (who also happens to own a LFS) and in exchange he promised to get me a free fromia milleporella for my assistance. I inquired about the animal to him yesterday after reading this thread. I can still turn down the offer but Im almost tempted to give it a try since its free. He visits the large warehouses every Friday for shipments so I have until then to decide. What do you guys think?

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If you're willing to take the gamble, go for it.

 

These are very beautiful animals, and I hope one of us will figure out a way to keeping them successfully in Nano-Reefs.

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My reply/advice is....as long as you have researched it and understand your tank, you can do what you want. BUT, also know how to respond quickly and rapidly to any adverse effect on your system. SH

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Im still debating it... Ive always had pretty good success with keeping any type of livestock in my tank but never anything as fragile as this. If I do decide to accept the offer I will post pictures with updates on its progress. Thanks for all the advice.

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My LFS advised me to get 2 of these and I has just started my tank. They did very well. I didn't realize they were so hard to keep. I feel terrible now realizing that they may have been starving. I really liked them the most of any of my tanks inhabitants. They actually seemed to like eachother, I'm not sure why I thought so. My tank went through some odd changes. The salinity was too high once, and a shrimp died. Then we had a really hot day out of no where and another shrimp died as the tank got to 90, the stars still did well and looked great. It's been about three weeks since then, and my dad passed away and I was out of town unexpectedly with my neighbor watching the tank. I just got back and both stars have just disappeared and most of my hermit crabs are gone. I'm not sure what happened, but my stars lasted 10 months and they had minimal acclimation, an hour at most. Also I've accidently exposed them during water changes. Now I wonder how long they would have lasted, were they starving and by coincidence passed while I was gone? I was planning on getting another two, but now I'm wondering, I didn't realize I may have done them a disservice.

 

Does anyone know their natural lifespan in the wild?

What is the longest anyone has kept them in a tank that we know of?

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I've got a question that I figured would fit in this thread.

 

I went to the LFS this weekend with my parents in town, and took them with me, so they insisted on buying me livestock. The one rule was nothing that didn't have a chance of survival in my 24g JBJ NC (72w PC), so Acros were out, and I didn't want fish either, cause I've got too much as it is... ANYWAYS

 

My dad picked out a small frag of candycane/trumpet coral, 3 heads, and also a bright orange starfish. I need an ID on it, because I can't really narrow it down by myself. He is bright almost neon orange, with tiny almost clear looking bumps all over his skin. He is very regular shaped, completly cylindrical.

 

I acclimated him with slow 15 minute intervals of maybe 10% water additions to his original bag, over 2 hours, because I don't have a drip system availible. The lady that sold him to me at the LFS said that he would last for a long time and do well in my tank, and she has an idea of what is in my tank because I've been dealing with her and the other store co-owner with my tank since I purchased it.

 

He was probably exposed to the air at some point, although it was very much avoided.

 

Now that he is in my tank, I place him in the bottom, and he always just crawls into the top, front, right corner of my tank,and stifens up there, with his top leg almost out of the water.

 

Every time I move him, he stiffens up and crawls back up into the corner.

 

Any ideas of what is going on, or how I can better acclimate him to my tank?

 

Let me know please!

 

Thank you!

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Can you get a pic? It would make it alot easier to ID.

 

Why do you keep moving him. IF he wants to climb to the top and extend a leg, let him do it. Mine used to go to the top of the tank quite a bit. I think that is common.

 

Good luck, they are hard animals to keep.

 

Bob

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I was under the impression that any starfish that comes up to the top and "begs" for food isn't reef safe. Have you tried putting food on his leg when he comes to the top and folds over at the surface?

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I didn't think to feed him. I fed the tank last night a cube of enriched mysis, hand feeding my new trumpet corals. I figured that there would be enough food for him, but if he is going to the surface for food, I'll try to drop some pieces of dry food onto his arms. Hopefully he'll enjoy it.

 

I'm really wanting to keep the star healthy, and I think I identified it in my book, but I'm not home now, so I can't remember what it is. No biggie, but he still went to the top of the tank, then came half way down the glass, and then back down again, so I'll try feeding him next time I see him reaching for the surface.

 

Thanks guys (and gals)!

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Wow, it sad to see everyones been having bad luck with their Fromia's. Mine died after I moved the tank, added a sump, and changed salts. Pretty stressful ordeal that I wish I had done differently now.

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