Green Brittle Starfish

[slugg3r]

I've got one of these and he eats like a champ. Just worried I may almost be over feeding him. I generally feed him 1/3 - 1/2 of a raw small sized cocktail shrimp usually every day. Sometimes every other day and he eats it up in about 15 seconds and is out reaching for more.
The piece of shrimp I feed him is almost the same length as his center disk (maybe 3/4 inch - 1 inch) diameter so I can't believe he really needs this much. Should I change how much I feed him? He hangs out pretty close to my jawfish and where my 6-line sleeps so I do think it is important to keep him fed.

 

[hatessushi]

If you have live rock you shouldn't need to directly feed him at all. I never feed mine but they do get a lot of fish left overs, we call them out tank bus boys since they clean up after the fish. They spend most of theirtime feeding off the live rock.

 

[ophiura]

It is important to spot feed but you are learning something about them. They may not eat until they are full. In fact, there are pictures where they have eaten so much, it has broken through the disk leaving a big hole.
IMO, all brittlestars should be spot fed. Highly opportunistic and adaptable, and deprived of food, they can and will exploit other methods for getting food. I STRONGLY recommend spot feeding them.
This star is a know predator. Will it become a problem? There is no way to know. maybe, maybe not...but possibly for sure.
They do not know where the next meal is...they do not remember it came yesterday, and the day before, and so will come tomorrow. It is instinctive to eat what they can. They do not know they have "lost" the biological game to grow large and reproduce. So anything may be fair game at any time.
What I am saying is you are probably feeding plenty. And feeding more may not prevent him eating your fish. Feeding less may not cause it to eat your fish. There is no clear answer I am afraid. But realistically, if you REALLY value your fish above all else, then I would look to either moving the star to a refugium or sump, or trading it in.
I have 3 large green brittlestars (and many others) in my 45g with a sixline. Do I worry? Yeah, but I keep the tank for the brittlestars, and if it is eaten, well....that is life.