Chocolate Chip Starfish in Reef Tank

[mling]

My 5 year old had Grandpa buy her a Chocolate Chip Starfish at Petco. Now I find out that this type of Star fish is only suitable in fish only tanks. I have a Reef tank with Corals, Feather dusters, Shrimp, Crabs, & cleaning crew but no fish yet.
Has anyone had experience with this carnivorous type of starfish creating havoc in their reef tank ?
Should I be returning this starfish to the ocean ?
Is there a species of starfish that is suitable for a Reef ?

 

[Anonymous]

They aren't considered reef safe, as I guess you have figured out. I have put them in my reef, but only as food for harlequin shrimp, so I guess I don't have personla experience on the damage they actually do.

I hope you are kidding about releasing it into the ocean though; that is highly irresponsible...

 

[HClH2OFish]

Take it to another LFS and see if they'll take him.

A starfish is not the kind of pet a 5 year old should have.

They are much more sensitive than most people think and the chocolate chip, though popular, can be a pain.

Choc's are one of the more agressive starfish. If you have any snails, etc. that he can catch, they'll be eaten.
He'll also likely wind up knocking something over in your tank...happened to mine

Last item....you should inform Grandpa that Petco is a no-no. Worst animal husbandry I've ever seen...and rescuing the critters won't do a thing towards getting them to stop.

Just my .02

 

[Reef Guy11]

Yeah I had one before when I was a Newbie learned real fast that they are not reef safe. The Darn was eating my Xenia right in front of me, Didn't care that I was watching this. Pulled him out and took him to a LFS and gave it to them. :x

 

[ded08221]

choc star's will eat other stars also. he ate two legs off of my orange star. lucky i caught him before it was to late. and he also one night caught a tiny clown i had. i wouldn't ever have one of these in one of my tanks again.

 

[ded08221]

choc star's will eat other stars also. he ate two legs off of my orange star. lucky i caught him before it was to late. and he also one night caught a tiny clown i had. i wouldn't ever have one of these in one of my tanks again.

 

[Ben1]

The Darn was eating my Xenia right in front of me, Didn't care that I was watching this

When you start worrying about your starfish watching you, there is a problem! J/K

I had a CC for a year or two in a mixed reef tank with no problems. It was years and years ago but like I said no problems. I feed it daily though with silversides and such so it was probably too full on them to eat anything else. Was cool to watch it spit its stomach out and "eat" its food though.

 

[Reef Guy11]

When you start worrying about your starfish watching you, there is a problem! J/K

Yeah that is a problem huh, LOL. Well Like I said that was the last Xenia that he ever ate. :twisted:

 

[Reef Guy11]

Bump

 

[Anonymous]

CCSF are definetly not reef safe they tend to feed on justa bout anything. They love anything in the cnidarian family. As a result they'll make mince meat of anemones, zoo's, polyps ect... I had a customer get fooled into buying one from another LFS and it ate his anemone, most of his star polyps, and all of his xenia. They make excellent economical fish only tank cleaners however.