[Ltspd]

What can you guys tell me about Linkia laevigata, or Blue starfish. I know they are reef safe, or I think so. I have read they do not like to be exposed to air. I have one on hold at a LFS. Nice large size, has been their since Wed of this week. I think they are poor shippers but this one appears to be healthy and looks good.

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Paul C
Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.
Einstein

[golfish]

Paul,
They need a well established tank with lots of film algae growing, so you might want to wait 6 months or so.

Mark

[Mikeman]

blue linkas only feed on alge(I may be wrong) so your tank should be set up for atleast 5month +, you also don't see these guys very much, very secretive

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Mikeman

Heros are like muffins when things get hot, they rise to the top.

[SomeHairyOldGuy]

I have heard that they have a tendency to dwindle away unexpectedly for no apparent reason. This may be do to a immature tank though. How long has your tank been set up? See how long the LFS will hold it for.If they are comfortable holding it for you for a while then good and if not that might tell you something.
SHOG[img]/ubb/eyemouth.gif[/img]

[Ninong]

I agree with Golfish, better to wait 6 months or so for your tank to mature first. They are reef-safe, feeding on detritus, surface microbes and surface algal films. And yes, they are reported to be poor shippers. Like all starfish, they require slow drip acclimation because they are extremely sensitive to osmotic shock.

Ninong [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

[Ltspd]

Thanks, I'll put the 30.00 towards something else.

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Paul C
Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.
Einstein

[icemark]

You know, these are the most stupid creatures I have ever had in any tank.

granted they (starfish) don't have a brain, but I have had two blues that did just stupid things.

Like, one decided that under some rocks looked like a good place to sleep/live/eat so it dug out enough sand until it could crawl in and then it must have said, "you know I still need more room". Dug some more until the entire rock wall crashed down on top of it and crushed it.

Then I had another that used to crawl through a coral skeleton that is in my main tank, get caught and rip its legs off trying to get out. Never every had the red or any other animal do that.

If you want a starfish any other starfish has more brains than a blue.

You can only imagine me shaking my head sitting here writing this down, saying "stupid, their just stupid".


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Mark

Play Well

[Joe]

Blue Linkia are cold water stars. They are reef safe but if you keep your temp up above 78 on a consistent basis they will as someone else stated "dwindle away"

Joe

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"The President is aware of what is going on. That's not to say there is something going on."

[MtnDewMan]

If anyone decides they don't want their Blue Linkia's ... I would house them for ya ... My Harlequin Shrimp wouldn't mind the treat I am sure [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]



[img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

[This message has been edited by MtnDewMan (edited 05-20-2001).]

[Ninong]

Originally posted by Joe:
Blue Linkia are cold water stars. They are reef safe but if you keep your temp up above 78 on a consistent basis they will as someone else stated "dwindle away"

Joe

That is complete nonsense. Linckia laevigata is not a cold water species, it is from the Indo-Pacific. In fact, it is one of the most common species on the GBR averaging 509 individuals per hectare.

Ninong [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]



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Irrational Exuberance!

[Elmo18]

Im sorry to jump in like this, but I would like to know which one is "easier" to take care of:

the blue linkia or the little red general star (fromia elegans).

I bought the little red star earlier for my 25 gallon, but it slowly died. First, one of its 5 legs started to rot away a little at atime, then it spread to all of it and after several days, only its center mouth part and stubby legs were there. I didn't realize it, butheard they can crash the entire tank. I took it out after I saw that it would not live much longer. Several days after this, one of my two Clarki'is died, with a pale white appearance.

Also, how big can the blue linkia grow to? I lked the small size of the fromia elegans, but not sure how big this one is.

Regards,
Ilham

[PerryinCA]

FWIW,

We have noticed that the purple seem to do much better in shipping and during/after acclimation. I don't see why it would make a difference, but they tend to adapt easier and don't die off nearly as often. Then again, we don't see the purple as often and they tend to be more expensive.

-Perry

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Some call it evolution,
And others call it God.
Each In His Own Tongue (1908)
William Herbert Carruth 1859-1924

[Ninong]

Hi Elmo ~

Linckia laevigata can get to approximately 14" across. Fromia elegans seldom exceeds 3.5" across. Either one should do OK if they can survive the transport handling and then the acclimation process. Naturally they both should be acclimated very slowly (probably 3 - 5 hours).

What probably happened with your first one was that it was damaged somewhere in the collection and transport process, probably by careless acclimation between saltwater of differing salinities. This could have happened during collection, during shipping, or during the time it was at the LFS. Sometimes the damage doesn't show up for weeks. Unfortunately, many people involved in the collection, shipping and retailing of marine animals are careless with the livestock.

Ninong [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

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Irrational Exuberance!

[Elmo18]

Linckia laevigata can get to approximately 14" across.

Wow, [img]/ubb/eek.gif[/img] that's large. Im not sure if I want 14 inch diameter starfish in my 80 gallon. How big will it take for it to grow from say 4 inches to 14?

Regards,
Ilham

[kholladay]

Well I had a purple one myself. Really cool looking if you ever did get a look at the stupid thing. I put it in and for the next few months I might have seen it out twice, but I could always find a leg or something peeking out from behind a rock or something. Then one day it was just gone. Not like I couldn't find it gone, but GONE. I completely took the entire tank apart and never found it, not a leg, nothing. Call the X-Files I guess.

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Kyle Holladay
My Fish Site

[Joe]

Originally posted by Ninong:
That is complete nonsense. Linckia laevigata is not a cold water species, it is from the Indo-Pacific. In fact, it is one of the most common species on the GBR averaging 509 individuals per hectare.

Ninong [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

Ninong,

I don't mind being corrected. As a matter of fact, I appreciate it. I was passing on information from a source I thought to be an experienced reef keeper. I will now re-evaluate that assessment.

What I don't appreciate is the tactless manner in which you have replied to more than one of my posts. Let me refresh your memory about your reply to my question about BlueLine MH ballasts and TVI(Television Interference). In my post I stated that I have TVI from these ballasts. Your one line reply to my request for HELP was something to the effect of 'Of course you do' I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for that elightening response.

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION you are reaching a level of experience and knowledge which will qualify you to move over to THAT OTHER FORUM where these types of responses are normal.

I have become accustomed to seeing your replies on a great many posts and in general they are quite concise and to the point. You must have a vast library of marine publications to gleen information from. I had always thought that when using information from a published source it was proper to give the author credit.

If you have a problem with me in particular my e-mail address is available and we can discuss this one on one. Otherwise, a little humility goes a long way. With as many posts as you have written I would think you would know that without face to face contact, verbage is everything.

Joe

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"The President is aware of what is going on. That's not to say there is something going on."

[Ninong]

Originally posted by Joe:
I had always thought that when using information from a published source it was proper to give the author credit.

I couldn't possibly give the author credit since there is no author to credit. It just so happens that I have done extensive reading in the literature of coral reef ecology as you so astutely pointed out previously in your e-mails to me questioning my "expertise" and "complimenting" me on my "ability to read."

I do not look up this information, having read it I remember it, it becomes part of my personal knowledge base and I am quite confident that if I post something to the board, it is accurate. If I were not confident, I wouldn't post it or would double-check the accuracy before posting. I have double-checked the accuracy of my statement, "That is complete nonsense," and find that it is an accurate and concise evaluation of the information you provided in your post. This is not a "high profile Dallas LFS" where mythology is dispensed as science.

If you would like to research population density studies of the various coral reefs of the world, that information is readily available online from dozens of sources.

As for your original post about Blueline ballasts (which seems to have disappeared, meaning that some other moderator or administrator deleted it), you said that you were having interference problems with other electrical appliances in the vicinity of your Blueline electronic ballasts and so I began my reply with "Of course you are..." which seemed--to me anyway--a humorous opening. I then explained that these ballasts are known for emitting a high level of RFI and EMI, and that since they have not been FCC type accepted, you had a basis for requesting a full refund of your money from the vendor, which is what I recommended as the best course of action.

Ninong [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

P.S. - Here is the link to the population density study of echinoderms on the GBR with the figure of 509 individuals of Linckia laevigata per hectare: http://www.omnicom.com.au/charonia/chap4.htm

There are also population density studies done on Fijian reefs but they are part of a different study. If you enter "Linckia laevigata" in the MSN search engine, you will get 110 hits, including detailed doctoral dissertations by people who were awarded advanced academic degrees based on their in situ study of these animals.




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Irrational Exuberance!

[SPasse]

Hi All,

I have been talking to some fellow reefers about the high mortality rate among starfish in general, and it seems that one factor that keeps’ coming up is osmotic shock experienced perhaps even before you take possession of your particular critter.

It would be nice if we had more control of our distribution channels.

This being the case, I consider doing all that you can to properly acclimate these creatures to be absolutely necessary to their survival.

Fish are rather tolerant of temporary specific gravity variations, by comparison.

Regards,

Scott

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The definition of an expert is a washed-up drip under pressure.
You can see my reeftank at http://www.homestead.com/spasse/

[Baywatch Babe]

Originally posted by Joe:
Blue Linkia are cold water stars. They are reef safe but if you keep your temp up above 78 on a consistent basis they will as someone else stated "dwindle away"

I have a Linckia laevigata for 3 months now, my tank temp hasn't dropped down below 80. Most of the time, since it's summer time here, the temp is 89-91F. The sea star is still alive and kickin'.

[Joe]

Originally posted by Ninong:
Originally posted by Joe:
I had always thought that when using information from a published source it was proper to give the author credit.

I couldn't possibly give the author credit since there is no author to credit. It just so happens that I have done extensive reading in the literature of coral reef ecology as you so astutely pointed out previously in your e-mails to me questioning my "expertise" and "complimenting" me on my "ability to read."

I do not look up this information, having read it I remember it, it becomes part of my personal knowledge base and I am quite confident that if I post something to the board, it is accurate. If I were not confident, I wouldn't post it or would double-check the accuracy before posting. I have double-checked the accuracy of my statement, "That is complete nonsense," and find that it is an accurate and concise evaluation of the information you provided in your post. This is not a "high profile Dallas LFS" where mythology is dispensed as science.

If you would like to research population density studies of the various coral reefs of the world, that information is readily available online from dozens of sources.

As for your original post about Blueline ballasts (which seems to have disappeared, meaning that some other moderator or administrator deleted it), you said that you were having interference problems with other electrical appliances in the vicinity of your Blueline electronic ballasts and so I began my reply with "Of course you are..." which seemed--to me anyway--a humorous opening. I then explained that these ballasts are known for emitting a high level of RFI and EMI, and that since they have not been FCC type accepted, you had a basis for requesting a full refund of your money from the vendor, which is what I recommended as the best course of action.

Ninong [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

Ninong,

I will post this reply and then erase this topic from my mind.

I would just like to straighten out a few items.

First, in one of the very few e-mails I have sent you, I did not question your expertise (as in challenge or infer lack of)I asked you what your expertise was. A sensible question I thought, in light of the fact that your profile shows no hands on experience nor any equipment. You quoted only five words from that e-mail. Anything taken out of context can be what ever your mind wants it to be when surronded by words of your choosing.

Second, I don't believe I see anything in my post refering to a "high profile Dallas LFS". Yes, I do work part time at a "high profile Dallas LFS". In this instance, the mis-information I posted and freely admit being wrong, was not from my "high profile Dallas LFS". I like yourself am retired, but unfortunately, unlike you, I can't find enough time to do the reading that you obviously do. I would at this time like to compliment you again, this time on your memory. I know that without looking it up, certainly I would not remember the average number of Blue starfish per hectare on the Great Barrier Reef.

Third and last. I would like to point out that my original post on BlueLine ballasts was moved by you. You being a Master Moderator maybe you could find it so that you once again don't quote out of context. Your reply to Chicago in my repost has the information you refer to. You reply to my first post was quite consice but rather short and abrasive.

In MHO this discussion is over on my part. I have said my piece. If you find a need to continue this, I would suggest that you dig up my e-mails and posts and quote them in full.

As we were fond of saying in the late sixty's.

Peace brother,

Joe

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"The President is aware of what is going on. That's not to say there is something going on."