Ophiura--star ??'s

[jenn-e]

I hope i spelled it right.
I just ordered a brittle and serpent star. I know they need to be acclimated for about 4 hours, right? I've also heard that they shouldn't be exposed to the air, is that right? I had a serpent before i knew about this place, and i lost him. So i just want to make sure i do everything right this time. Any other pointers you can give me about getting a good acclimation would be great.
Thank you.

 

[ophiura]

If you look up star acclimation or Linckia acclimation, you should get some hits on it.
Basically, I like a drip acclimation (another possible search term) over a long period. 4 hours is not always necessary for brittle/serpentstars, depending which one's they are (the large bright red serpent requires a long acclimation, but green brittlestars don't need so much). It depends in large part on the difference in specific gravity between your tank and the bag water.
When acclimating, it is important to remember that temperature needs to be maintained. Sometimes people just drip into a bucket and that means temperature drops. So it is important to rig up a system to keep the temperature at tank temp. I do think that "drip acclimation" would be a good search term to use for ideas.
As for the exposure to air, this is somewhat of an "old wive's tale." While I do not recommend long exposures, a brief exposure will not kill a healthy animal. It is part of a long line of perceived issues (including handling the animal) that are implicated in the deaths of seastars. In reality, the deaths are generally caused by acclimation itself, and not by handling the animals. So minimize exposure where possible, but it is not in and of itself fatal.

 

[jenn-e]

Thank you
I was planning on dripping them, so i'll stick with that. Do you think 2 hours is long enough? It's a regular black or brown brittle. Ophiothrix sp. And the serpent in the pic on the site looks kinda green with a cool pattern. Ophioderma Appressum.
That's the names they used. Thanks for your help. And just so you know my tank is established and i've been thinking about this for a while. Not an impulse buy. lol Just want to make sure i do it right.

 

[ophiura]

Good choices
Though I will have to give them updated names. The black/brown one called Ophiothrix is Ophiocoma (wendtii?)...but the patterned one is definitely Ophioderma. Fun with names!
2 hours should probably be suitable, but do check that the specific gravity is equal in your tank versus the acclimation container.

 

[jenn-e]

Ok will do.
So do you think the serpent will be as pretty as the picture?