Brittle star question

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by sweetdawn
i have black brittlestars in two of my tanks one in my ten gallon and two in my thirty gallon reef tank. they are a scavanger that feed on detritus, feces, and food remains if you see them eating a shrimp it was already dead. only thing they might hurt is tiny tubeworms. excellent member of any clean up crew. stay in the rockwork during the day and come out after lights out.

Most brittlestars are generally opportunistic which means that they may take advantage of a number of different feeding strategies. I never recommend that they be left to scavenge entirely. See if they will take to some spot feeding now and then (my black brittlestar, BTW, won't, but several have reported predatory behavior with black brittlestars...however this is meaningless in actually identifying the species). No animal will pass up a meal if it is hungry, and that may include shrimp and small fish if necessary.
I have 3 green brittlestars and while they are extremely "aggressive" at feeding time, they have not messed with my shrimp (which basically stands on top of them) or the sixline wrasse. However the tank is VERY heavily fed.

 

[snipe]

I like serpents lol. I wouldnt mind having the micro birttle stars there really cool.

 

[misslaina]

hey Ophiura, arrow crabs are ok? They are not secretly plotting against shrimp? I suppose if they are given the opportunity ( there are lots of opportunists in a reef right?) they will get what they can.

 

[snipe]

I had one and he was docile compared to other crabs.

 

[beth13eaw]

AHHHHHH......... :scared:
Now my sally lightfoot crabl is gone.....found her shell with a leg pulled off each side and her shell is hollow......HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?.....Found her under the rock that the brittle star is under.
Either it's the brittle star or ALIENS are coming out at night and killing off my inverts 1 by 1. There is nothing else in the tank big enough to eat all those things. Can a brittlestar DO THAT?....Can it suck the meat right out of the shell.....there is no break in the shell but it is obviously empty, just the two legs missing.
Someone help.............I would put the brittlestar in QT for a while and see if the killing stops, but all my fish are in QT for ick.

I know it is not my arrow crab.....he is extremely tiny. he is the size of a daddy long legs spider. he is so tiny most of the time he is right in front of me and I don't even see him.

 

[ophiura]

This brittlestar should have a very large disk right now. If you click on my name, go to my website, under the tabloids (at the bottom) you will see what a brittlestar looks like who has eaten a shrimp. Now to imply that it has done that, repeatedly, within days is a bit much, IMO, but I suppose not entirely impossible.
But it WILL be attracted and possibly consume DEAD crabs and shrimp as well, and I think it reasonable to consider this an option considering they were in there only days at most. It is really important that this always be considered - it is not it was killed by this or that all the time. :yes: People don't often want to think that something is wrong in the tank, but
A healthy sally lightfoot crab would be a bit much for a (I presume now 4 armed) brittlestar to catch. I would consider the crab a greater threat to the brittlestar. But that is not to say it is impossible. If true however, you would have, IMO, one of the single most aggressive and voracious brittlestars I have ever heard of.
Have you tried feeding the brittlestar? And what color was it? If there is concern, I would return the brittlestar to the store.
Arrow crabs are not my favorites, personally, as they can start eating a number of things that are desirable in general...certainly at a minimum worms and such.

 

[beth13eaw]

My brittlestar is a brownish color with tan stripes. Can't tell how big her disk is she is always hiding under her rock, can just see her legs sweeping for anything interesting to eat. I have been feeding her brine shrimp and bloodworms. I know this is not the best but I haven't gotten to the store to get something better for her. I don't know if these inverts are just dying and then getting eaten or if they are being killed.
This tank is so frustrating for me.....BUT I LOVE IT ANYWAYS....I'm gonna get this right if it kills me!.....
Water seems OK....Nitrites 0, Nitrates 20, pH 8.2, SG 1.025, Ammonia 0. I just don't know what else it could be that is causing these inverts to die.
Water temp has been around 82, Could that be it?

 

[ophiura]

Not likely....common reef temps are 80 - 85 degrees and many hobbyists keep tanks within this range without issue.

 

[snipe]

temp is fine.