Couple Invert Questions

[bowlergt]

First is my feather duster, he left his tube and I dont know what to do.

Second is my starfish alright? Some people have told me he is not a good star fiish and can potentially eat other fish/inverts. Tonight he looked rather "big" can they puff themselves up or most likely he just had a big meal? I hope that wasnt it because I havnt seen my new green clown blenny since I added him 2 days ago.

 

[kurtymac]

The featherduster is still moving? Also green serpent star, yea they will eat fish and other inverts, unless you have an aggressive tank, i would just sell him or get rid of him, i had to do it for my brown who ate 5 cleaner shrimp!!!!!! 30 dollar meals. And the greens are worse then the browns. But if you plan on having an aggresive tank with not many inverts then he should be fine. ITs your choice, you have to choose, sometimes to avoid problems you have to get rid of the problem that is going to start them.

 

[bowlergt]

so he is a "green" star even though he is yellow? I know the greens are bad. Hope he didnt just eat anything

and yes the feather duster is still kind of moving

 

[kurtymac]

yea they are normally just pigments, the feather duster should be fine as long as he doesnt stop moving he will go back in. They just look for new homes like crabs i asume, yea like i said the brown serpent i had got huge, he was really cool, but i wanted to keep speices of hermits and shrimp, so i had to get rid of him.
yellows arent as bad but will still eat others

 

[bowlergt]

I'll take him back, I've had him since I set up the tank almost 3 months ago and have only lost one peppermint shrimp and even then I found the body so I know the star didnt do it, and I've only lost 2 fish, the first I couldnt find but the second I did so I think thats not to bad. Good thing I work at the LFS now any recomendations for another star? maybe a non-killing brittle lol

 

[kurtymac]

wait is ur feather duster still in the tube but he is sticking out? , cause that is just normal for them to do, hahah i thought u ment he actually left completely lol

 

[kurtymac]

sure i just baught a red deep reef star today from my LFS. There are tons that you can get, just make sure they are reef safe, i mean just by you having a pepperment shows you have intrest for shrimp and inverts which are awomse anyway! You dont want to have to restrict all that cool stuff just for the one serpent and brittle stars. Just make sure they are reef safe if you plan on doing coral and all that jazz, most commen in the LFS ive been to are the chocalate chip stars but they arent reef safe. The only thing i like about the serpernts is that they are very hearty compared to a lot of starfish.

 

[kurtymac]

you could get mini brittles hahaha

 

[bowlergt]

My feather duster has completely left his tube, he is laying on the sand below it. But just a quick rundown of my tank its a 55g with 260w t5 lighting. 40lbs of sand and LR. Have a condy and a bubbletip. Inverts include 2 Emeralds, 2 pepperming, a skunk cleaner, that starfish, about a dozen tiny hermits, 3 margarita snails, horseshoe crab. Have a frag of zoos and a colt coral. Fish I have a Cross' Damsel, 2 clowns, Firegoby, Yellow and Green Goby (I hope havnt seen him for awile) Lawnmower blenny, Lyretail Anthias, Rainfords Goby. I know a little over stocked but they will be moved to a 135g in a few months, plus they are all still small.

 

[kurtymac]

yea trust me we all overstock our tanks even though we dont like to admit it. yea everthing is small yet so your fine. The star will become a problem even if he goes 2 months without hurting your stuff he will get em sooner or later mine did lol, but mine was huge they get big real quick. For instance i was going to buy a voltion lion today, he was calling my name lol, but then i saw him nip at the puffer with him, and they arent reef safe, and i really went in there ready to buy him, but then realized that in the long run he is going to be more trouble then he's worth.

 

[ibew41]

take the horseshoe crab also it will die shortly of starvation