Green Brittle Star

[kofrederick]

On Saturday I went to my fish store. They had a tank full of brittle and serpent stars. I got a I guess you would call him a green brittle, he is black and kinda blueish. Anyways, all I have in my tank currently is a giant pink pincushion urchin an arrow crab, 2 black bar damsels and on saturday I also had 2 black and gold damsels. Sunday morning when the tank turned on he was eating one of my black and gold damsels. Are there any fish I can keep with my starfish? $4 a damsel is a little expensive for food if you ask me. He hasn't eaten anyone today but when my black bar damsels swim by he tries to grab them. I almost bought a purple psuedochromis and now I am glad I did not. What can I feed him to keep him from eating my fish and what can I keep with him? My urchin is probably the safest thing in the whole tank unless he ends up figuring a way to eat him. Help me please

 

[btldreef]

Originally Posted by kofrederick
http:///forum/post/3157695
On Saturday I went to my fish store. They had a tank full of brittle and serpent stars. I got a I guess you would call him a green brittle, he is black and kinda blueish. Anyways, all I have in my tank currently is a giant pink pincushion urchin an arrow crab, 2 black bar damsels and on saturday I also had 2 black and gold damsels. Sunday morning when the tank turned on he was eating one of my black and gold damsels. Are there any fish I can keep with my starfish? $4 a damsel is a little expensive for food if you ask me. He hasn't eaten anyone today but when my black bar damsels swim by he tries to grab them. I almost bought a purple psuedochromis and now I am glad I did not. What can I feed him to keep him from eating my fish and what can I keep with him? My urchin is probably the safest thing in the whole tank unless he ends up figuring a way to eat him. Help me please
Even if you do feed him, sooner or later he's going to eat your fish. Green Stars are not safe with fish or other inverts...

 

[ophiura]

The green is a known predator and probably hadn't eaten in awhile and that was its first chance. They must be kept fed.
Can you get a picture? The description of the color is a bit strange so I am not sure this is what you have.
I disagree a little bit that it will eat the fish eventually...it MAY...but it is not for certain if it is otherwise kept fed. so far I have had 3 huge greens (and 7 other species) in a 45g with pretty small fish and have had no issues for 5 years...however I know it is a risk and i feed heavily. I don't generally recommend this species but it is not a sure bet it will be a problem in general. Since yours has shown the behavior (albeit likely after being starved) it is a risk it would continue.
If you like it, you certainly don't have to feed it damsels Anything meaty will do - even shrimp pellets. But it will always be a risk. Having said that, how long had you had the damselfish? If less than a week or so, or if the tank is cycling...there could be additional factors.

 

[kofrederick]

The fish stores never keep anything fed. I will post a pic as soon as he comes out of the corner of the rock. I was told I could probably only keep him with triggers or a foxface so now to decide what kind of trigger. I bought him a package of krill and he ate it so there is his new food source.

 

[ophiura]

Definitely not with triggers which are predators of stars....definitely not. That will not end well in general If it is the advice of your LFS, that is bad advice for sure.