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Red Linckia starfish are the red-orange cousin of the popular blue Linckia - same care requirements, different coloration. Demands long-established (12+ month) reef tanks with abundant biofilm and detritus. Sensitive to shipping and acclimation - drip acclimate over 4+ hours and never expose to air. Beautiful when stable but high mortality in newer systems.
Native range: Indo-Pacific. Most US trade specimens come through marine wholesale suppliers in Indonesia, the Philippines, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. Wild collection remains the primary sourcing method for the majority of marine inverts - few are captive-bred at commercial scale. Quality of acclimation at the wholesale/retail stage is the biggest single predictor of long-term survival in home aquaria.
Tank size: 75 gallons (mature, established tank only). Parameters: temperature 74-82°F, salinity 1.024-1.026, plus the standard reef tank requirements - stable calcium 420-440 ppm, alkalinity 8-10 dKH, magnesium 1300-1400 ppm, nitrate under 25 ppm, phosphate under 0.05 ppm. The species requires conditions consistent with a healthy reef tank rather than nutrient-stripped sterile water - well-established systems with diverse microfauna and biofilm typically support these inverts better than newly-cycled tanks.
Lighting: depends on species. Photosynthetic inverts (clams, anemone-symbiotic species) require high-PAR reef LED lighting. Filter-feeders (worms, scallops) prefer moderate lighting and benefit from particulate-rich water. Flow: moderate, indirect flow works for most inverts - direct high-velocity flow stresses or damages soft-bodied species.
Acclimation: drip acclimate over 2-4 hours for hardy species, 4-8 hours for sensitive species (Linckia stars, sea hares, demanding nudibranchs). Never expose inverts to air during transfer - capture in a bowl underwater and transfer wet.
Red Linckia Starfish diet: Biofilm, detritus, microalgae. Feeding strategy depends on dietary type. Algae eaters require established tanks with biofilm and microalgae growth - new tanks lack the algal base they need. Carnivore inverts (starfish, some snails) need targeted meaty feedings 2-3x weekly. Filter feeders (clams, worms, scallops) need phytoplankton in the water column. Photosynthetic species need adequate lighting plus supplemental amino acid or coral food dosing.
Safe: Peaceful reef community in established systems.
Avoid: Stars-eaters (Harlequin shrimp, some triggers), new uncycled tanks.
Asexual fission possible in healthy specimens.
Shipping mortality; starvation in nutrient-stripped systems; salinity sensitivity.
Red Linckia starfish are the red-orange cousin of the popular blue Linckia - same care requirements, different coloration. Demands long-established (12+ month) reef tanks with abundant biofilm and detritus. Sensitive to shipping and acclimation - drip acclimate over 4+ hours and never expose to air. Beautiful when stable but high mortality in newer systems. Most US trade specimens come through marine wholesale suppliers in Indonesia, the Philippines, Hawaii, and the Caribbean.
Tank size: 75 gallons (mature, established tank only). Parameters: temperature 74-82°F, salinity 1.024-1.026, plus the standard reef tank requirements - stable calcium 420-440 ppm, alkalinity 8-10 dKH, magnesium 1300-1400 ppm, nitrate under 25 ppm, phosphate under 0.05 ppm. The species requires conditions consistent with a healthy reef tank rather than nutrient-stripped sterile water - well-established systems with diverse microfauna and biofilm typically support these inverts better than newly-cycled tanks.
The Red Linckia Starfish is rated advanced (sensitive to acclimation) difficulty on this care sheet. It needs a tank of at least 75 gallons (mature, established tank only), a temperature of 74-82°F and salinity of 1.024-1.026. Adults reach about 4-8 inches and live 5-10 years in captivity. Red Linckia starfish are the red-orange cousin of the popular blue Linckia - same care requirements, different coloration.
Feeding strategy depends on dietary type. Algae eaters require established tanks with biofilm and microalgae growth - new tanks lack the algal base they need. Carnivore inverts (starfish, some snails) need targeted meaty feedings 2-3x weekly. Filter feeders (clams, worms, scallops) need phytoplankton in the water column. Photosynthetic species need adequate lighting plus supplemental amino acid or coral food dosing.
Shipping mortality; starvation in nutrient-stripped systems; salinity sensitivity. New tanks lack the biofilm and microfauna Linckia needs to survive. Drip acclimate 4-8 hours. Never lift the star into air during transfer. Flow: moderate, indirect flow works for most inverts - direct high-velocity flow stresses or damages soft-bodied species.
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