In the Blue Linckia Club

[livinlifeinBKK]

Ok. Linckia laevigata should be very rarely imported. I'd go so far as to say at this point in time they should be difficult to find and I'd even support having to request for a shop to order one. So why am I keeping one? No, I'm not being a hypocrite, just think it's pretty, or believe I have the "special" 1 in a million tank that they don't die when 98% or more die (few make it that long). This is for research purposes only. The aim is to observe the behavior very closely and take notes every day to compare to the behavior of Fromia indica starfish. You can learn a great deal from paying close attention to behavior characteristics and how they differ as long as you ask yourself why that may be and try to figure out why their behavior should vary greatly for example if their food source is the same? That's just one example of many. Yes, I will weigh him today to assess health and continue to weigh him periodically while attempting to offer a variety of foods. Perhaps he will eat, perhaps not. Maybe he will eat but obtain insufficient nutrients. That's not a successful feeding regimen then.
This is research to try to learn as much as possible and perhaps the information gathered will lead to insight and help develop a way to maintain them. Don't go buy one with the expectation you'll be an outlier or because of anything you heard that has no scientific support (having a big tank comes to mind). So many wives tales are passed around about this species it would be better to assume none of it is true and google anything supported by real research. Uncle Joe at the fish shop probably knows very little about some of what he sells tbh.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

If you want a place to begin to learn about them a very easy start can be found in the forum section. There's a good length article that compiled a lot of information on them. The writer actually had it checked for misinterpretations by an expert in the field to ensure he wasn't misleading anyone--even just by mistake.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Something to keep in mind with a lot of starfish is that they usually come in totally starved, especially Linckias with their tiny stomachs, so even if you do have the right environment, and do get them to eat, they may just be too far gone. There has got to be something unique about laevigata in particular though, because I just got a multiflora and it has visibly fattened since I added it four days ago! I had very similar results with a red 'laevigata' a year or two ago before I lost it in a crash.
I will participate in this experiment in spirit. If I see any particular behaviors in my Multi I will post them here. Can't wait to see how the experiment develops!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Something to keep in mind with a lot of starfish is that they usually come in totally starved, especially Linckias with their tiny stomachs, so even if you do have the right environment, and do get them to eat, they may just be too far gone. There has got to be something unique about laevigata in particular though, because I just got a multiflora and it has visibly fattened since I added it four days ago! I had very similar results with a red 'laevigata' a year or two ago before I lost it in a crash.
I will participate in this experiment in spirit. If I see any particular behaviors in my Multi I will post them here. Can't wait to see how the experiment develops!

I chose purposefully to wait until the day a shop got a new shipment and bought one to minimize that chance because you're completely right that many are starving upon arrival. I'm going to make a pure guess though that here the supply chain isn't as long so he should be in better health. Nobody knows for sure though how long the supply chain is.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

Agreed, your proximity to their home range definitely helps.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Agreed, your proximity to their home range definitely helps.

You see them everywhere while diving in some locations!

 

[DJF]

I’m in the blue linckia club as well. I have been caring for an orange and a blue that I’ve had in my tanks for 3+ years. I will admit to going into it naively. I did carefully acclimate and haven’t had any issues. It never touches air and I don’t grab/touch it which I anecdotally feel has contributed to my success- but then again, I don’t know how much it weighs either.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Also, if R2R members would appreciate more articles written about difficult to maintain speciesbased on tedious research and then fact checked by experts who have written many comprehensive books in their field of expertise along with countless peer reviewed papers, message Rev and tell him you like that article and would like others like it that the author worked hard to ensure it would be as accurate as possible.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I’m in the blue linckia club as well. I have been caring for an orange and a blue that I’ve had in my tanks for 3+ years. I will admit to going into it naively. I did carefully acclimate and haven’t had any issues. It never touches air and I don’t grab/touch it which I anecdotally feel has contributed to my success- but then again, I don’t know how much it weighs either.

The weighing is important if it's research...I can't just look at it and say it looks good today. You should try to figure out why you've been able to keep him so long while others seem not to be able to

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Btw, in only 12 hours behavior is markedly different than that of Fromia indica which is very interesting. I think I'm going to try to maintain the pH at a higher level and keep it constant although I wasn't going to do that at first. I strongly believe that many mortalities are caused internally, not externally. I've rarely heard anyone able to explain how a subtle external factor would lead to death aside from pure speculation. Uncle Joe likes to rely on speculation and his gut feelings alone.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I enjoy my red linkia. Good luck w the blue.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I enjoy my red linkia. Good luck w the blue.

Can I see a pic?? Not many red ones I've seen!

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

The reason for choosing blue was partly because of the size but mostly because it seems to be the most short lived.

 

[Lavey29]

I've had Patrick for 2.5 years now

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I've had Patrick for 2.5 years now

Can I see his aboral side? He doesn't quite look like a Linckia tbh

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I could be wrong but his arms don't look exactly like a Linckia genus Star in that pic

 

[Lavey29]

Can I see his aboral side? He doesn't quite look like a Linckia tbh

 

[Lavey29]

I could be wrong but his arms don't look exactly like a Linckia genus Star in that pic

I just call him an orange starfish

 

[Miami Reef]

message Rev and tell him you like that article and would like others like it that the author worked hard to ensure it would be as accurate as possible.

What does this even mean?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

What does this even mean?

I wrote the article haha