Feeding Brittle Stars

[velvetchs]

I ordered a reef cleaner package from swf.com (the 20 - 55 gal one). I split it with a friend of mine. I kept the 2 brittle stars that came with it. I did research before ordering this, but I have a question. I read some past posts from here, but just about everyone was asking about GREEN brittles. I found a few posts on the black and brown ones, but people had only mentioned feeding them shrimp. I know that this website lists them as eating flakes, pellets, and meaty foods.
Does anyone feed their stars anything but shrimp? I would like to give them a varied diet as possible. Thanks.

 

[aw2x3]

I have 2 baseball sized Black Brittles.
I spot feed them mysis and krill. As soon as the food touches one of their legs, to snatch it up.

 

[velvetchs]

Thanks for the quick reply!
So, they will eat pretty much anything then? I know they liked the shrimp pellets that I feed my peppermint shrimp (those cannibals), but I don't want to just feed them those.

 

[aw2x3]

I keep mine in a Moray predator tank, so they get whatever is left over...that's typically squid, octo and fish (grouper, salmon, tuna, snapper, etc).
They seem to be doing just fine with that and what I feed directly.

 

[chipmaker]

I don;t make any special considerations for crabs, shrimp or stars like the brittle stars or sand sifting stars. They all get their fair share of scraps or whatever they manage to find from whats fed.

 

[hatessushi]

I have a Green Brittle Star and he eats whatever I feed my fish. So that would be frozen formula 1,2, pellet formula 1,2, frozen mysis, brine shrimp, cyclops, various flakes, home made fresh fish food (shrimp, clam, squid, ocotpus, scallops), and they scarf out on whatever lands near them. I also have a serpent star that hangs out with the brittle. Green Brittles are scavengers.

 

[a&a2]

Have had mine for 2 years and fed nothing. I find they come out after the lights are off & feed off of whatever is left over!

 

[alyssia]

I feed mine any kind of meaty food. When I feed the tank he sticks his legs out and "waves" them around looking food.
Also, Ophiura says you should never let a brittle just scavenge.

 

[velvetchs]

Thanks for the replies everyone. It is nice to actually have a thread responded to. I guess it is time to go to the supermarket and get some fresh stuff for my new brittles!

 

[murph]

I have had mine for over a year and have never spot fed him. His favorite food seems to be tang turds which he will venture out even in day light to grab up. This is why they are included in cleaner packages.

 

[debbie]

His favorite food seems to be tang turds which he will venture out even in day light to grab up.
Are you serious?? Do they actually eat the fish droppings?

 

[chipmaker]

Originally Posted by Debbie
His favorite food seems to be tang turds which he will venture out even in day light to grab up.

Are you serious?? Do they actually eat the fish droppings?

[/QUOTE]yes, they eat detrious. NO need at all to buy special fresh foods to feed a brittle star, they do perfectly well on what is normally fed to the tsank inhabitants, as long as there is some of that food that they can get ahold of and of course, fish droppings too.

 

[debbie]

That is very interesting indeed.
Thanks for the reply....

 

[nctarheels]

Originally Posted by alyssia
I feed mine any kind of meaty food. When I feed the tank he sticks his legs out and "waves" them around looking food.
Also, Ophiura says you should never let a brittle just scavenge.
ill second that. i feed mine usually squid, silversides, etc. but definitely feed it every few days.

 

[ophiura]

I always recommend spot feeding brittlestars. Why? Because any one of our tanks may be relatively over stocked on cleaning crew (making it hard to scavenge), underfed, overfed, understocked, overstocked, etc. I make no generalizations as to what you have and what you are feeding. So the suggestion is that you make an effort to feed these animals. If you feel you are feeding a lot, or have a lot of fish, etc, then by all means, don't feed them.
However, I don't care to take that chance, and make an effort to be sure that these animals get direct food. It will not prevent them eating something else, but if deprived of food, I have no doubt many will try to eat something else.

 

[a&a2]

Mine only comes out when it is totally dark. How can you spot feed it with the other fish picking around?

 

[daninct]

When I want to spot feed my brittle or my serpant star I stab a piece of fish or shrimp on a stainless kabob skewer so I can get it right in front of them. They snag it and go into hiding and eat. I'll do this once every week or two when they come out in the light up to the glass and beg. Rest of the time they pig out at night on left overs.

 

[a&a2]

I barely see mine, maybe a little piece of its arm from under the rock. When I used to try to spot feed, the other fish ended up getting the food?