Brittle Star?
- Thread starter rwillo
- Start date
ericholcek
Member
:yes:
nm reef
Active Member
I've never had much of a problem with them except for a tendacy to knock small corals and such over. After they get large they may be a problem especially if there are loose corals and frags....but the ones I've kept haven't done any major damage. I have a huge brittle that I purchased about 4 years ago. He now lives in the 55 gal refugium...
sleeri
Member
I've got a pretty big brittle star that I bought for my 55 reef about a year ago. He's got legs that stretch out to at least 5-6 inches. I was a bit worried when I first purchased him, but so far he has not created a single problem in my tank.
The only slight negative for me has been the feeding. I give him/her a small chunk of frozen shrip once a week. I have to stick my hand in the tank and put the food right next to the star and wait until it grabs it from me. The fish nab it all if I don't feed the star directly.
Anyone else feed their brittle star or do most people let it scavage for all it's food?
The only slight negative for me has been the feeding. I give him/her a small chunk of frozen shrip once a week. I have to stick my hand in the tank and put the food right next to the star and wait until it grabs it from me. The fish nab it all if I don't feed the star directly.
Anyone else feed their brittle star or do most people let it scavage for all it's food?
chris s
Member
I didnt really want mine in my tank but I messed up and he got in there. I was acclimating him in my one tank will I messed around with the tank he was going to go in. Some how he got out of the bag and into the tank. I hardly ever see him, b/c he hides out under the rocks. As long as my coral arent disapearing then he can stay. I was just curious about the star in the refugium. Doesnt the star eat the stuff you want to keep alive? Or do you feed him well enough that he doesnt it that much?
areijin
Member
I have HUGE five year old green brittle star. Maybe 18 inchs from leg to leg. HE is trubble. He likes to eat shrimp!!! I want to get ride of him but fell bad about it. I rather have shrimp and a different star. However he is soo huge that when I feed my fish he will come out half way to snatch food. It's cool to see and cool to feed him too. Plus my grilfriend love how gross he looks.
chainsaw5vent
Member
they're ok, but DON'T add the hermit crab that has hairy legs with white polka dots!! :scared: the crab WILL eat the brittle star and you will be sad.
i had one and did the above purchase and was absolutely shocked when my wife and kids called from home to let me know what was happening.
oh well.....
i had one and did the above purchase and was absolutely shocked when my wife and kids called from home to let me know what was happening.
oh well.....
nm reef
Active Member
I'd estimate mine at 15" to 18" tip to tip....he lives in my refugium and seems to do fine...I do try to target feed him some mysis and/or sliversides now and then. Sometimes he'll come out to play...but most of the time all I see is a body part here or there. The main reason I removed him from the display was a concern about him possibly harming my shrimp...maybe even small fish...plus I was concerned about him knocking stuff over.
sleeri
Member
I'm sure it all depends on the B. Star and the rock structure, but I'd have to say my big Turbo snails knock over far more things than my star.
I'm surprised to hear about all the concern over brittle stars attacking shrimp. Can't say that mine has ever shown the slightest interest in my Fire shrimp. Maybe the target feeding I do keeps him satisfied? He's also a black brittle star.
I'm surprised to hear about all the concern over brittle stars attacking shrimp. Can't say that mine has ever shown the slightest interest in my Fire shrimp. Maybe the target feeding I do keeps him satisfied? He's also a black brittle star.
friction32
Member
I have a green brittle that I have had for 3 years.Last measurement was approx. 18" across.He has been the perfect tankmate.Has never eaten any livestock and dosn't bother anything at all.Just wish he would come out when the lights are on.HTH
friction32
Member
The only time I can get mine to come out during the time the lights are on is when I feed my tank pieces of shrimp are such.But with my rocks the way they are and as big as he is you can usually see a couple of legs sticking out.
ophiura
Active Member
A few things about brittle/serpentstars:
1) there is no biological difference between "brittle" and "serpent" stars. It is a distinction made in this hobby only and has no scientific significance.
2) Brittlestars will not generally come out during the day. This is normal behavior, and very healthy. The hide under or around rockwork. To get them out during the day, you need to add food, or dim the lights, but they stay hidden as visually acute fish (meaning day active) are their primary predators.
3) Brittlestars are not coral eaters. Perhaps if a piece is dying...but they are not like certain seastars and do not generally feed on corals...however, they may live on a coral. A distinction needs to be made there. Some are symbionts on corals...and in some cases if the coral doesn't have them, they often die (see Astrobrachion constrictum...think I spelled that right)
4) The green brittlestar is very large, as people mention. It is a known predator in the wild, but this does not mean that it will be in captivity. I reckon that considering the number of people who keep them, few have problems. Other people have problems with different species, not known predators in the wild. Every tank is different, every animal is different, and no generalizations can be made.
5) Brittlestars should be spot fed. Our tanks are usually heavy on the "clean up crew' and often light on feeding (or fed a lot of liquid foods). I recommend spot feeding.
6) If you have issues with losing shrimp or small fish, I would not get one. But then you have those issues with many animals. Not all brittlestars, even all greens, are predatory. But you must put yourself in the animals position. The rule of life is to grow large and reproduce...to do that you must eat. Few animals will pass up a meal if they need it. And in this hobby, that means eating things you may have paid for. That is the drawback. We want "natural" ecosystems but often cringe when this happens.
The important thing is to ask why you want it? It is not, IMO, good for sand sifting or cleaning detritus. But it is a very cool and interesting animal that is extremely common on natural coral reefs.
1) there is no biological difference between "brittle" and "serpent" stars. It is a distinction made in this hobby only and has no scientific significance.
2) Brittlestars will not generally come out during the day. This is normal behavior, and very healthy. The hide under or around rockwork. To get them out during the day, you need to add food, or dim the lights, but they stay hidden as visually acute fish (meaning day active) are their primary predators.
3) Brittlestars are not coral eaters. Perhaps if a piece is dying...but they are not like certain seastars and do not generally feed on corals...however, they may live on a coral. A distinction needs to be made there. Some are symbionts on corals...and in some cases if the coral doesn't have them, they often die (see Astrobrachion constrictum...think I spelled that right)
4) The green brittlestar is very large, as people mention. It is a known predator in the wild, but this does not mean that it will be in captivity. I reckon that considering the number of people who keep them, few have problems. Other people have problems with different species, not known predators in the wild. Every tank is different, every animal is different, and no generalizations can be made.
5) Brittlestars should be spot fed. Our tanks are usually heavy on the "clean up crew' and often light on feeding (or fed a lot of liquid foods). I recommend spot feeding.
6) If you have issues with losing shrimp or small fish, I would not get one. But then you have those issues with many animals. Not all brittlestars, even all greens, are predatory. But you must put yourself in the animals position. The rule of life is to grow large and reproduce...to do that you must eat. Few animals will pass up a meal if they need it. And in this hobby, that means eating things you may have paid for. That is the drawback. We want "natural" ecosystems but often cringe when this happens.
The important thing is to ask why you want it? It is not, IMO, good for sand sifting or cleaning detritus. But it is a very cool and interesting animal that is extremely common on natural coral reefs.