Lesson learned the hard way: A story of murder and deceit

kungfugrip

kungfugrip

New Member
A cautionary tale about taking peoples word for it.
Well you know how people say... "Dont believe everything you read"... well in this case... I should have believed it.
Green brittle star fish (serial fish killer):
"One species in common use warrants a statutory warning. This is the Green Brittle Star of the genus Ophiarachna. This animal is a predatory fish eater, that does indeed do a spiffy janitorial job when small... but grows quickly, and under darkness of night can/does learn to eat aquarium fishes. This species has been documented to arch up in "sleeping caves" of captive fishes and drop down on unsuspecting meals. If you use this species, keep an eye on it, and a count on your piscine livestock."
Well about a month ago... after reading that it wasn't such a good idea. My LFS and I decided it would be ok to add a Brittle Green Star fish. Things went well for a while. Oh Ah... what a cool invert. And hey the fish like him... they swim right up to him.
Well... he earned their trust. Mr Star Wish wasn't such a nice guy after all it seems. He was a vicious psychopathic fish killer!!
Friday: Missing Diamond Goby... where can he be? Call CSI... because there is no trace of the little guy. Suspicious.
Saturday: Where on earth can my really cool Leopard Blenny be? I love that guy I miss him. Oh there he is!! Wait a sec... that just his head! Oh and its curled up with Mr Killer. Thats nice.
Well... I arrested the Star Fish this morning. He is going to fish jail.. for crimes against my tank (LFS). Sorry little buddies. I will always remember you.
RIP Diamond Goby and Leopard Blenny.
Bad Star Fish!!
DO NOT PUT GREEN BRITTLES IN YOUR TANK UNLESS YOU WANT HIM TO EAT YOUR FISH!!!
Believe it!! I Didnt!! Yes I am a dummy for putting him in!
 
unleashed

unleashed

Active Member
sorry for you losses .. but they arent called the green monsters for nothing.. unfortunately all brittle stars can be this was .. my black was also i lost numerous new fish to his hunting skills
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Cross that item off my future list...LOL...Thanks for telling us your exerience before more innocent fishies got eaten...
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Yes, they are KNOWN predators in the wild.
They must be kept very well fed. It will not prevent a problem for sure, but I guarantee a hungry star will eat.
But I will ask a few questions, because they are also scavengers that are often blamed for nothing. I do find it hard to believe it killed and ate two fish in a night.
How long did you have the fish it ate?
FWIW, I have 3 very large green brittlestars in a 45g tank with a sixline and cleaner shrimp for years and years. So not all are issues. But it is definitely a risk.
BTW, this is a normal, natural, instinctive behavior...there is no "guilty" and "innocent" in nature :) You can't expect an animal to starve.
 
kungfugrip

kungfugrip

New Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2867250
Yes, they are KNOWN predators in the wild.
They must be kept very well fed. It will not prevent a problem for sure, but I guarantee a hungry star will eat.
But I will ask a few questions, because they are also scavengers that are often blamed for nothing. I do find it hard to believe it killed and ate two fish in a night.
How long did you have the fish it ate?
FWIW, I have 3 very large green brittlestars in a 45g tank with a sixline and cleaner shrimp for years and years. So not all are issues. But it is definitely a risk.
BTW, this is a normal, natural, instinctive behavior...there is no "guilty" and "innocent" in nature :) You can't expect an animal to starve.
Thats one fish a night in 2 nights. He may have gotten the Diamond the night before but Im not sure. The food.. um I mean fish that got eaten were semi new. Roughly around two weeks.
And by guilty and innocent Im making an attempt at being sarcastic
 
daisywb

daisywb

Member
Originally Posted by kungfugrip
http:///forum/post/2868111
Thats one fish a night in 2 nights. He may have gotten the Diamond the night before but Im not sure. The food.. um I mean fish that got eaten were semi new. Roughly around two weeks.
And by guilty and innocent Im making an attempt at being sarcastic

You, sarastic? Nevah!
 
daisywb

daisywb

Member
Originally Posted by kungfugrip
http:///forum/post/2868143
HAHAHA... Why you! At least I dont move to Florida and cause my fish to commit suicide!!

Well, at least he got a 'fun' road trip out of it ;) He probably figured, "I've been from CA to FL, I can die a happy fish now!"
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Originally Posted by kungfugrip
http:///forum/post/2868111
Thats one fish a night in 2 nights. He may have gotten the Diamond the night before but Im not sure. The food.. um I mean fish that got eaten were semi new. Roughly around two weeks.
And by guilty and innocent Im making an attempt at being sarcastic

If they are new fish, it is also a good idea to leave the door open to the fact they died for some other reason, and the brittle was cleaning them up.
I'm not saying the brittlestar is not predatory - they ARE - but I am also saying we blame them for a lot of things they are not doing. It is nice to think all our animals are healthy and something killed them, when in reality they may have died for some other reason. I would find it very unusual to have killed and eaten two fish on two nights.
This is why I suspected they may have been recent additions to the tank.
It is a good plan not to have a green brittlestar with such small fish...but don't overlook other causes. There are very possibly other reasons.
I understand you were being sarcastic, but many people are not when they talk about things like this.
 
natclanwy

natclanwy

Active Member
I also have had a green brittle for a couple of years and never lost fish to him yet at least that I can prove, I have had few disapear in that time but all were new additions so who knows. I purchased one because I had read that serpant and brittle stars can be a very benificial addition to your cleanup crew so I was looking on SWF.com seen they had a green one and thought that would be cool, better than a brown or black one so thats what I ordered. It wasn't until the day my shipment arrive that I happened across an article on green brittle stars talking about their preditory habits. So I have lived with my decision and have a space reserved in my fuge if he ever decided to start munching on fish. I see SWF has finally put a warning in their description they was not one when I purchased mine.
 
kungfugrip

kungfugrip

New Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2868384
If they are new fish, it is also a good idea to leave the door open to the fact they died for some other reason, and the brittle was cleaning them up.
I'm not saying the brittlestar is not predatory - they ARE - but I am also saying we blame them for a lot of things they are not doing. It is nice to think all our animals are healthy and something killed them, when in reality they may have died for some other reason. I would find it very unusual to have killed and eaten two fish on two nights.
This is why I suspected they may have been recent additions to the tank.
It is a good plan not to have a green brittlestar with such small fish...but don't overlook other causes. There are very possibly other reasons.
I understand you were being sarcastic, but many people are not when they talk about things like this.
Thanks all great info. Thats certainly possible... the Diamond could have died on his own. Still quite a bit to learn here. Either way... I think I'm going to take a break from Brittle Star fish for a while.
Not following your points on my sarcasm. If it helps... I can put a disclaimer in my sig so that nobody gets confused by sarcasm in the future (I'll credit you of course). Or if its not an issue of confusion.. just a sensitivity issue... I will title all my posts: Warning!! Sarcasm inside!!!
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Your post was obviously in a lighthearted tone.
There are many people who would not see it as sarcasm, that is all I am saying. I'm not telling you to change anything. But there are people who do and place human emotions and intent on things in a tank when it has nothing to do with nature. There is no guilt in the food chain. That is my only point. Obviously it has been misunderstood so we can drop it.
 
wbwarnerb

wbwarnerb

New Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2869853
Your post was obviously in a lighthearted tone.
There are many people who would not see it as sarcasm, that is all I am saying. I'm not telling you to change anything. But there are people who do and place human emotions and intent on things in a tank when it has nothing to do with nature. There is no guilt in the food chain. That is my only point. Obviously it has been misunderstood so we can drop it.

Ophiura,
speaking as a Luciferian, Jewish, Scientologist, I'm quite offended by your psychoanalysis of this person's lighthearted tone.
Don't you know that this invalidates his or her free will?
Let us not turn to the dark evil nature of psychiatry to fix the problems of fish.
 
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