brittle star stow-away

stonedage

stonedage

Member
I went and got my self a eclipse 6 and some supply to start a micro reef and when i got home and was flipping the live rock around...wouldnt ya know it there was a brittle star inside one of the holes. Im to far from the pet store to take it back( i dont thikn it is high value to them) andthis thing has has some serious abuse, it was in a bag out of water(but still wet) for about2-3 hours and then the water it went into was brand new, i am just starting out after all. What should i do with the poor thing? its day 3 now and it is moving around the tank. I seen it spit something out(tiny little ball), but what is there to eat besides some algea on the live rock. Sould i feed it(how/what?)? Flush it? Is it gunna mess up the hole cycle prossess? Very unexpected first problem, and already i need advise. thanx
SA
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
I wouldn't flush him. Was the rock cured? Keep an eye on your water levels. He may survive the cycle if you don't let the ammonia spike over 1ppm.
 
sinner's g

sinner's g

Member
I'd just leave it be. Since you're cycling it may or may not live. Mine lived through a lot, including a move and a cycle. He'll eat what's on the lr. You can feed him raw unseasoned shrimp. I feed mine about once a weekish. smaller pieces for smaller stars, always check a few hours later/next day for leftovers if you don't have a clean up to eat it.
it's less stressfull if you can keep the sg and temp stable, and levels good, but since you're cycling, you can't really do that with some levels. But you can keep the sg stable and keep the lights off.
I had a beatiful brittle star. He was almost nothing after a move (cc spiked the nitrates...hard lesson to learn). He and the other star stayed in the lr, on the side of the tank without lights, and didn't eat the shrimp I offered for months, but both grew back healthy and big.
good luck
 
stonedage

stonedage

Member
haha funny question, the guy at the fish store sniffed it and then told me it was "almost cured" the was alot of purple algea on all of the rock. and it came out of one of there display tanks. Ive had the light off, but how much longer befor i turn on the timer?
SA
 
stonedage

stonedage

Member
its brown, got some light and darker spots, realy spiny, id say its about 4" maybe storted now that the tips of some of its arms got lopped off in the rough move. Lights on now? 12 hours? Thanx for the fast replys BTW
SA
 
sinner's g

sinner's g

Member
Ime, it's less stressful to the stars to have the lights off, since you're cycling, you should be able to keep the lights off. But if you want them on, it won't hurt anything. I kept my lights off till the stars were healthy again. But that's me and my stars stayed in the dark. I also kept my tank running for overtwo years for just two stars... :help:
If it came from a display tank, it should be cured lr...
 
stonedage

stonedage

Member
well then i think if i follow everyones advise Ill just let it be for now and if he makes it Ill try and figure out what im going to do with her. (wasnt something on my want on my reef list if ya know what i mean). Im going to wait until sunday to turn on the light if it isnt harmfull to the LR in doing so(is it?).
SA
 
whitey_028

whitey_028

Member
nope your good! Just let nature take its course at this point. Brittle stars are actually beneficial so if it makes it through cycle youve got a good detrius eater. Id keep him.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by stonedage
well then i think if i follow everyones advise Ill just let it be for now and if he makes it Ill try and figure out what im going to do with her. (wasnt something on my want on my reef list if ya know what i mean). Im going to wait until sunday to turn on the light if it isnt harmfull to the LR in doing so(is it?).
SA
no, your rocks will be fine.
 
cjml

cjml

Member
Originally Posted by whitey_028
nope your good! Just let nature take its course at this point. Brittle stars are actually beneficial so if it makes it through cycle youve got a good detrius eater. Id keep him.
I agree-keep him! :happyfish :happyfish
 
stonedage

stonedage

Member
well its been two weeks now and the star is just fine, his injured limbs are growing back and he is moving all over when ever the light is off. I have a bunch of brown algae on the front of the tank where the current from the filter deflects at least that is where it is thickest. Ive found that i have inhereted 2 tiny round shelled snails one 1 long cone shaped snail(these are all under 1/16-1/8")along with the hidden star and I see some very tiny little things moving around on the rock in places. the rock seems to have quite a bit more bright green growth on it and alot of maroom coloured areas as well. Seeing these miniscule things is very exciting hoping what may become of it all in time. At this point I feel that I should add a small cleaning crew, to help the star. In the end My only fish is going to be 1 pec. clown but what else should i add in? I want a cleaner shrimp but are they to big for a 6gal? I fell in love with blue legged hermits this week in jamaica(they are everywhere there) and would love to have one/some of them. I definitely need something for the tank walls(im afraid to say the word acrylic) and the teeny snails i have just aint gunna get er done. I dont want to go out tomorrow and fill the tank up, i just think i would like to add a starter. I would really appreciate any more help, thanx
SA
 
stonedage

stonedage

Member
This is a pic from a few moments ago, you can see all of the brown in the front, the star in in the lower right hiding under the rock, in a spot he goes all the time when the light is on. Im new to all this so i really dont know what the good and bad colours are as far as algae goes. thanx
SA
 
kayak385

kayak385

Member
that substrate will give you problems later just like my crushed coral is going to do to me. I'm scheduling a substrate change as soon as i get the cashflow
 
stonedage

stonedage

Member
oh really? that sux!! I was hoping that it had such large voids that it would harbour benificial bacteria but if it will just cause probs i will get rid of it ASAP(wish the guy at the LFS would have told me this since he new what i was doing). WHat about the cleaning crew? how about the algae? does anything look decent? if i add live sand now would i have to wait for another cycle befor adding any life? Should i just leave the bottom bare? I find it looks so much better with some substrate. This is my first so Im full of questions, seems every answer just bring up another question, sorry, but thanx
SA
 
stonedage

stonedage

Member
well the brown in the front is almost all gone, i added a cleaner shrimp, 2 blue leg hermits, 2 scarlet hermits, 3 turbo snails. Still all sorts of unknown "things" swimming or scooting about. Im gunna have to get some kind of book to ID everything im seeing in there, i have no clue what is good or bad still
SA
 
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