red serpent starfish
- Thread starter dalley
- Start date
A
angelofdeath132
Guest
i'm looking for some info too! i want to get 1 for my 55 FO tank
waterbury guy
Member
I had a green brittle, that got way too big for my tank. He was pretty scary looking and made me nervous as I've heard they have been know to eat fish and I had a couple go "missing". I got a Red Serpent about a month ago that was about 1/4 the size of my green. So far he has been a perfect citizen. Stayed very much hidden for the 1st few days. Now he stays "mostly" hidden, comes out during feeding time. If we have fish for dinner I'll occasionally give him a small piece directly. Other than that he eats the scraps at the bottom.
michaeltx
Moderator
One of the LFS's here try to get them in every now and then since I have been trying to get one they have ordered 7 none of which have made it through the shipping. BTW its not from them acclimating them I get there as there shippment comes in and the arrive melting in the bag little to no legs a really big mess.
they try to save them by acclimating into a quarintine tank but none have made it so far..
FYI
Mike
they try to save them by acclimating into a quarintine tank but none have made it so far..
FYI
Mike
ophiura
Active Member
This large, bright red brittlestar is called Ophioderma squamosissimum.
This is a very, very delicate ophiuroid and does not do well in transit. It must be acclimated at every step of the way, from capture, to supplier, to LFS, to buyer, or it will not survive. The acclimation time should be 6-8 hours, using a drip method. This is the best thing to try even if some have had success with shorter periods. Any indication of arms dropping means that the animal is likely very stressed. Most die in transit.
This is a rare species in the wild, and care should be taken that it is given the best chance of survival in captivity. I also recommend spot feeding them, to insure they get enough food. They are not as likely to eat other animals in the tank, like the green brittletar does, but they will eat if they are hungry and can catch something. The specific gravity of the tank should be 1.025 (not the lower ranges often seen). They are very stressed by lower salinities. A stable, mature tank (preferably reef) is key. It is important not to have them with puffers, triggers, wrasses, etc. These are natural predators of brittlestars.
This is a very, very delicate ophiuroid and does not do well in transit. It must be acclimated at every step of the way, from capture, to supplier, to LFS, to buyer, or it will not survive. The acclimation time should be 6-8 hours, using a drip method. This is the best thing to try even if some have had success with shorter periods. Any indication of arms dropping means that the animal is likely very stressed. Most die in transit.
This is a rare species in the wild, and care should be taken that it is given the best chance of survival in captivity. I also recommend spot feeding them, to insure they get enough food. They are not as likely to eat other animals in the tank, like the green brittletar does, but they will eat if they are hungry and can catch something. The specific gravity of the tank should be 1.025 (not the lower ranges often seen). They are very stressed by lower salinities. A stable, mature tank (preferably reef) is key. It is important not to have them with puffers, triggers, wrasses, etc. These are natural predators of brittlestars.
kandr
Member
I just received a red brittle star on Tuesday. He looks great, and seems to have shipped very well. I got him here at Saltwaterfish.com. I placed him on a rock, right after acclimation, and he just got up and walked off like a spider until he found a hole, which he then squeezed himself into. This scared the hell out of me. I never saw a star fish move so fast.
He has been in there for 3 days now. I can see his legs move from time to time, and I once picked up the rock to see if he was OK, and he looked all there. Very bright red. And I think he was irritated that I bothered him.
How long will it take for him to feel comfortable enough to come out? And should I pull him out to feed him, or will he come out when he gets hungry. Anybody have any experiences with these?
He has been in there for 3 days now. I can see his legs move from time to time, and I once picked up the rock to see if he was OK, and he looked all there. Very bright red. And I think he was irritated that I bothered him.
How long will it take for him to feel comfortable enough to come out? And should I pull him out to feed him, or will he come out when he gets hungry. Anybody have any experiences with these?
waterbury guy
Member
Do NOT pull him out to feed him. He will come out when he is hungry. Also, they are mostly nocturnal.
ophiura
Active Member
A healthy brittlestar will rarely "come out" unless there is food in the tank. If they do, they usually remain pretty close to the rocks. They are not like seastars which cruise around in the open. Brittlestars stay hidden and usually only extend a few arms to feed and "smell" the water. An injury to the arm (by a fish for example) is less dangerous than injury to the disk, so this is a defensive strategy.
Never, ever try and pull one out of their hiding spot, or bother it in any way. They will drop an arm if you tug on it, hence the name. This will cause some stress. It may take awhile to be comfortable in the tank. It can also take a few weeks for the animal to die from shipping stress. Keep trying to spot feed it (krill, silversides, shrimp pellets, squid) and remove the food if it is not interested quickly. But it still may not come out from under the rocks, which is normal.
As mentioned, they are generally nocturnal, and do not care for the intense lighting found in some tanks.
The tank parameters must be absolutely perfect...all the time. Minor changes can result in big problems with this species. It is the Linckia of the brittlestars. The most delicate of the brittlestars available in the hobby.
Be sure and try to diversify the diet, and get a feel for what foods it prefers.
Never, ever try and pull one out of their hiding spot, or bother it in any way. They will drop an arm if you tug on it, hence the name. This will cause some stress. It may take awhile to be comfortable in the tank. It can also take a few weeks for the animal to die from shipping stress. Keep trying to spot feed it (krill, silversides, shrimp pellets, squid) and remove the food if it is not interested quickly. But it still may not come out from under the rocks, which is normal.
As mentioned, they are generally nocturnal, and do not care for the intense lighting found in some tanks.
The tank parameters must be absolutely perfect...all the time. Minor changes can result in big problems with this species. It is the Linckia of the brittlestars. The most delicate of the brittlestars available in the hobby.
Be sure and try to diversify the diet, and get a feel for what foods it prefers.
megadon
Member
I have a Red Serpent star with white piping on the arms, he has been in the tank for 3 month now and I rarely see him. When I put in Silversides he will stick and arm out (sometimes) and I try to let him grab a piece and bring it into his rock. He lost an arm in my buddies tank while he was babysitting it for me, and now has begun to regrow it. He also had a rip in the disc which has been repaired. A very cool animal, but not often seen.