HELP!! Serpent star and LTA anenome

gypsana

Active Member
I woke up this morning to half of my serpent star in my LTA anemones grasp!! I pulled the star out and he seems to be okay. His body was not in the anenomes mouth. What was going on, who was after who?
 

reefkprz

Active Member
my guess would be your serpent made a missstep and got caught, or he was trying to steal a morsel from your anemone and turned out to be a bad idea. I dont think an LTA has enough whallop to kill a brittle easily due to their scale like plating, maybe ophuria can back this opinion or tell you other wise. I HIGHLY doubt that wyour brittle was trying to eat the anemone as I have never heard of any brittles being confirmed as predators other than the green.
 

gypsana

Active Member
Thank you I appreciate the info. Maybe Ophuria will see this and have some info. My anenome is quit large (Approx 8" in diameter) and still growing.
 

gypsana

Active Member
Those are some great pictures. I wish I had taken some this morning but I was too freaked out.
 

gypsana

Active Member
It is a banded serpent star. I feed the anenome later that day. Yesterday the star headed towards the anenome and as soon as he touched him he started to turn around. So far it has not happened again. If it does I will take pictures. It was crazy!! Can a LTA eventually digest a serpent?
 

gypsana

Active Member
I awoke this morning and saw the serpent star crawling away from the anenome and 2 of his arms were half gone. Could the anenome have done this or is the star just sick. Please I need help!
 

miaheatlvr

Active Member
Originally Posted by gypsana
I awoke this morning and saw the serpent star crawling away from the anenome and 2 of his arms were half gone. Could the anenome have done this or is the star just sick. Please I need help!

I dont think it was the anemone, brittles know to keep away from anemones, unless really desperate to steal some food, I would look elsewhere,, hows your water? Did you ever post your water perameters?
 

gypsana

Active Member
My water is great. Ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, all at 0. SG 1.027, PH around 8.2, and when I had Calcium checked 2 weeks ago it was aroud 600, and water temp at 78-80. It is a 45 gal tall with refug. and protein skimmer. Everything else in my tank is thriving. I saw it crawling away from the anemone. and it still had a piece of it's arm semi hanging off. It is so hard to find out really good info on how big my LTA is going to get. He is huge already.
 

sprang

Member
What the crap!! Are you sure? I guess this is another reef issue we can learn from. Doesn't surprise me though. If the l.t.a. has the ability to kill the star, than why mess with the silverslides. Look on the bright-side...You have one healthy eating anemone. Kind of a parable of the guy that had his clam try to eat his tang last month?
 
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