50 Gallon Feather Star Build

[keddre]

Inspired by @Gweeds1980 request for me to help him research his new Feather Star and his online journal, I've decided to take my own gamble and build a tank built specifically for and around this species.

While this will be a slow build due to classes starting back up, I'm ready to take this on and see if I can help make a tank where these Feather Stars can thrive.

*Disclosure: While I know that difficult specimens should be left alone, as long as they are available people will buy them and I would rather help put in my part to getting closer to the answer

 

[keddre]

To start, it will be a 50 gallon tank with a closed loop system for high all-around flow. I will have two dedicated 10 gallon refugiums and a 20 gallon sump loaded with Live Rock and Chaeto. The main system will run a shallow sand bed instead of my usual DSB approach. In the included graphics; the white is the pvc, minus some unions and ball valves and the actual pump; the Red will be the intake for the Closed Loop; the Blue will be their outputs, all of which will be aimed at the center to knock flow everywhere; the pink will be a powerhead I am looking for recommendations for, to provide surges without the use of a surge tank.

 

[PSLReefer]

Irresponsible

 

[keddre]

Irresponsible

Of course, but so was the first person to ever keep a tank. After 4 years of keeping filter feeders, I'm ready to step up my game [emoji5]

 

[Gweeds1980]

If you're serious about doing this then fair play. I was reckless in buying my crinoid and should have known better!

If I was setting up a tank specifically for them, I'd start by checking out successful non photosynthetic coral reefs... those guys seem to have the most luck with crinoids. Even then, the red feather star (Himerometra robustipinna) is considered almost impossible, so avoid what I did and get an easier species!

I would suggest some kind of surge flow is important as is a close to constant supply of food. An auto feeder would be good for this. I'd suggest also keeping other species who readily breed in captivity with the crinoid... my suspicion is that a lot of the natural food is made up of various larvae... so some damsels, clowns or cardinals would be good, the larvae will become food. I'd also look at inverts who will broadcast spawn - tuxedo urchins as an example.

A fuge I think is a MUST. With little or no mechanical filtration and preferably no skimmer. The tank needs to be able to sustain as much microscopic food as possible. I'd even look at turning the normal set up on its head and have a fuge which is 2 or 3 times the volume of the DT, let it get as filthy as possible basically!

I believe one of the biggest issues, aside from feeding is their apparent intolerance of nitrates... given the type of set up you need, managing nitrates could be a challenge. Consider regular, daily even, small water changes and managing nitrates through the fuge and perhaps carbon dosing. An auto WC system would be ideal.

I have no idea if it makes any difference, but using NSW rather than synthetic water seems a sensible approach. It will bring zooplankton with it.

I would also dose phyto daily, something I will be doing when my phyto order comes in. This will help to sustain any zooplankton you can get and may be food in its own right.

Obviously everything you spend on the extras and food, you'll save in not buying £$£$£$ of lights lol.

I agree with the idea that we can ultimately find ways of keeping these animals alive, but please go into this with eyes open, not like me, prepare to put everything you have into this project.

Be very selective of the crinoid you choose, ignore anything which isn't showing feeding behaviour at the LFS, check how it's been transported and acclimated, ignore anything which has been out of the water or handled directly by humans. Insist that it is picked up with a plastic bag and bagged submerged with the biggest bag and most amount of water they can manage. They are very delicate and I believe a lot die due to incorrect handling. My research has suggested that, for whatever reason, human contact really isn't good for these animals.

A minimum of 4 hours drip acclamation is recommended and ensure that ALL water params are as close to the LFS as possible.

Lastly, do not treat with any medication. I would even suggest that the free swimming stages of parasites like ich may be included in their diet... certainly other reef filter feeders have been found in the wild with fish parasites in their guts.

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

[Gweeds1980]

To start, it will be a 50 gallon tank with a closed loop system for high all-around flow. I will have two dedicated 10 gallon refugiums and a 20 gallon sump loaded with Live Rock and Chaeto. The main system will run a shallow sand bed instead of my usual DSB approach. In the included graphics; the white is the pvc, minus some unions and ball valves and the actual pump; the Red will be the intake for the Closed Loop; the Blue will be their outputs, all of which will be aimed at the center to knock flow everywhere; the pink will be a powerhead I am looking for recommendations for, to provide surges without the use of a surge tank.

Who is that guy? He gets into everyone's tank plans lol.

 

[keddre]

If you're serious about doing this then fair play. I was reckless in buying my crinoid and should have known better!

If I was setting up a tank specifically for them, I'd start by checking out successful non photosynthetic coral reefs... those guys seem to have the most luck with crinoids. Even then, the red feather star (Himerometra robustipinna) is considered almost impossible, so avoid what I did and get an easier species!

I would suggest some kind of surge flow is important as is a close to constant supply of food. An auto feeder would be good for this. I'd suggest also keeping other species who readily breed in captivity with the crinoid... my suspicion is that a lot of the natural food is made up of various larvae... so some damsels, clowns or cardinals would be good, the larvae will become food. I'd also look at inverts who will broadcast spawn - tuxedo urchins as an example.

A fuge I think is a MUST. With little or no mechanical filtration and preferably no skimmer. The tank needs to be able to sustain as much microscopic food as possible. I'd even look at turning the normal set up on its head and have a fuge which is 2 or 3 times the volume of the DT, let it get as filthy as possible basically!

I believe one of the biggest issues, aside from feeding is their apparent intolerance of nitrates... given the type of set up you need, managing nitrates could be a challenge. Consider regular, daily even, small water changes and managing nitrates through the fuge and perhaps carbon dosing. An auto WC system would be ideal.

I have no idea if it makes any difference, but using NSW rather than synthetic water seems a sensible approach. It will bring zooplankton with it.

I would also dose phyto daily, something I will be doing when my phyto order comes in. This will help to sustain any zooplankton you can get and may be food in its own right.

Obviously everything you spend on the extras and food, you'll save in not buying £$£$£$ of lights lol.

I agree with the idea that we can ultimately find ways of keeping these animals alive, but please go into this with eyes open, not like me, prepare to put everything you have into this project.

Be very selective of the crinoid you choose, ignore anything which isn't showing feeding behaviour at the LFS, check how it's been transported and acclimated, ignore anything which has been out of the water or handled directly by humans. Insist that it is picked up with a plastic bag and bagged submerged with the biggest bag and most amount of water they can manage. They are very delicate and I believe a lot die due to incorrect handling. My research has suggested that, for whatever reason, human contact really isn't good for these animals.

A minimum of 4 hours drip acclamation is recommended and ensure that ALL water params are as close to the LFS as possible.

Lastly, do not treat with any medication. I would even suggest that the free swimming stages of parasites like ich may be included in their diet... certainly other reef filter feeders have been found in the wild with fish parasites in their guts.

Good luck and keep us updated!

We are on the same mind set. I'm planning on having two refugiums under the stand, chaeto, and macro in the display. Luckily I have a ton of stuff due to my current tank requiring daily doses of live pytho.

As far as feeding, I'm going to do daily dosing of phyto and hook up a doser for bi hourly dosing at night. Obviously this is going to take a lot of plankton, so I'm going to have to start a live culture of this instantly.

As far as the sea water, I was thinking a mix of natural water and synthetic reef blend.

Only think I disagree with is lighting, while I already have lights, I feel like the while tank should be kept at daylight levels to keep the phyto alive while it's in the tank

 

[Gweeds1980]

We are on the same mind set. I'm planning on having two refugiums under the stand, chaeto, and macro in the display. Luckily I have a ton of stuff due to my current tank requiring daily doses of live pytho.

As far as feeding, I'm going to do daily dosing of phyto and hook up a doser for bi hourly dosing at night. Obviously this is going to take a lot of plankton, so I'm going to have to start a live culture of this instantly.

As far as the sea water, I was thinking a mix of natural water and synthetic reef blend.

Only think I disagree with is lighting, while I already have lights, I feel like the while tank should be kept at daylight levels to keep the phyto alive while it's in the tank

Re the lighting, agree with you... was thinking you'd just have a couple of t5s or a Chinese black box led as opposed to 4 radions or an ati 8 bulb hybrid etc.

 

[keddre]

Re the lighting, agree with you... was thinking you'd just have a couple of t5s or a Chinese black box led as opposed to 4 radions or an ati 8 bulb hybrid etc.

I'm keeping my current marineland reef led

 

[keddre]

As I sit here planning and quoting, I might have to hold this off until next summer. With monthly tuition, I don't think I'll be able to afford the project without half ***ing it. So this will just be a year of intense research, planning and craigslisting. I'll continue to post my research and changing plans for others who may have experience behind this

 

[Gweeds1980]

As I sit here planning and quoting, I might have to hold this off until next summer. With monthly tuition, I don't think I'll be able to afford the project without half ***ing it. So this will just be a year of intense research, planning and craigslisting. I'll continue to post my research and changing plans for others who may have experience behind this

You never know, mine may still be alive in a year!!

 

[keddre]

You never know, mine may still be alive in a year!!

I hope so. Any breakthrough wool be great. Please keep up with your journal as I'm actively following

 

[keddre]

Thinking about how I can keep particles in the water 24/7, I have decided to go with a laminar flow up.

As far as the sand bed, it was a heavy decision between DSB and bare-bottom but I've decided to go DSB for three reasons: I am most comfortable with it, give the copepods a place to thrive/hide, and hide the new pipe scheme. The laminar up-flow will also be connected to the auto-dosing system to keep the tank in a permanent state of "marine snow".

While all the inhabitants will be fans of strong water flow, you can notice the right side has less outputs just in-case.

As far as the rock scheme (although I didn't draw it), it will be a rock wall on the back, with non-photosynthetic gorgonians at the base and a carpet of caulerpa prolifa in front. The gorgonians will be for visual pleasure and the caulerpa will provide supplemental feedings for my clean-up crew of urchins(s) as well as nutrient uptake and food for the ff if they "go sexual".

Also I have made a complete 160 on the lighting as I will run low-lights for aesthetic reasons.

Note: the surge device will still be present.

 

[Grey Guy]

I think it's great when someone makes a commitment to a dedicated tank. It's a great learning opportunity for all of us.