Depends on the tank, couple times a week or as much as daily... they aren't photosynthetic like most corals so they need to eat to stay alive.
Hitchhikers - Advice Needed!
- Thread starter KellyFrancis
- Start date
Depends on the tank, couple times a week or as much as daily... they aren't photosynthetic like most corals so they need to eat to stay alive.
It is a 55 gal fowler right now. For filtration I have a biosystem 75 and a regent 300 (or something like that). I don't know what matters here and what doesn't...but I want to take care of the little guy so thanks for the advice. Do you have any idea how big he'll get with the proper care?
The worm? Couldn't say, could get as big as a few inches, or stay tiny. As for what I ment system wise, I was reffering specifically skimmers, if you have a skimmer then filter feeders wont get as much food, since skimmers remove a large chunck of phytoplancton and water born BB.
Oh I don't have a skimmer yet. My biosystem has a surface skimmer on it, does that count? She's pretty bare-bones right now, lol.
While I have you, I've tried feeding it several times with several different approaches and every time, he hides in his tube. Is this normal and does he actually get any food?
While I have you, I've tried feeding it several times with several different approaches and every time, he hides in his tube. Is this normal and does he actually get any food?
no surface skimmer doesnt count lol. Do you have an eye dropper? try dripping a few dops REALLLY slowly over him... as close as you can get without bothering him... that, or just squirt a ton into your flow and hope enough gets to it lol. Since hes so small he wont need much, so you don't have to get to close, even go as far as a few inches above him. It's also possible your food stuffs are to big for him so he cant eat them. Most "filter feeder" food is phytoplancton, but there are alot of filter feeders that eat only bacteria, which are suprizingly small by compairison to phytoplancton.
Ok. Well I'll do what I can for the little guy. Thanks for the advice! Is there any way to know whether he's getting enough to eat or is it just pretty much life or death?
If that star fish is white get it out of there if you have any coral in the tank
Why do you say that? I have two now. They are so cute and tiny, lol! I don't have any coral yet but want to someday. I talked to one of the more reputable LFS and they said that all they eat is algae. They are tiny and white with imperfect arms. One of them has 6, lol.
There are hundreds if not thousands of different asternia stars. Some are bad, most are ok. There is no way to tell until they start damaging coral tissue.
Depending on your tank, they will multiply like crazy so look out!
I personally have done whatever I could to remove them if they hitchhike from the LFS.
They are also good food for shrimp to eat.
Depending on your tank, they will multiply like crazy so look out!
I personally have done whatever I could to remove them if they hitchhike from the LFS.
They are also good food for shrimp to eat.
There are hundreds if not thousands of different asternia stars. Some are bad, most are ok. There is no way to tell until they start damaging coral tissue.
Depending on your tank, they will multiply like crazy so look out!
I personally have done whatever I could to remove them if they hitchhike from the LFS.
They are also good food for shrimp to eat.
Thanks for the info! I have a coral banded shrimp, do you think he'll keep the population under control if they get out of hand? Or should I get more shrimp? I know I can't have more coral banded ones, but what other shrimp eat them, just in case more pop out?
