not so reef safe brittle star

mps9506

mps9506

Well-Known Member
So I thought I had a reef safe banded brittle star, but apparently not!
I wish I had grabbed the camera, but I was so in awe that I really couldn't move :)
Anyhow my banded brittle star that I have had for about 6 months just mowed down about 3 stomatella snails in my tank that I transferred from my rock cooking tank. I was wondering why I had snails in my sump but couldn't keep the bastards alive in my display tank. This explains a lot about why I couldn't keep the dern things alive in my display tank.
It was cool watching him eat though :D
I have an extra 20 hex, I may setup and let him live in that.
Man I can't believe this :hammerhea
Was wondering why I could keep acros alive but couldn't keep a snail alive to save my life...
 
N

NHLblues44

Member
Oh yea.. I have a huge 10 or 12 inch one and he eats snails in my tank all the time,especially the baby ones that reproduce for me. I even once had to save my bangaii cardinal from him as he got scared and darted into the rock only to be snagged by the star. Other than that he doesn't bother anybody and he is huge!
 
Craig Manoukian

Craig Manoukian

Well-Known Member
IMO there is no such thing as a safe brittle star. They are opportunistic feeders and will munch anything they can tent or catch. I had one that ate two Carpenter Wrasses. $60 in meals and back to the LFS it went. Wrasses cocoon and sleep near the sand bed and the brittle star found them on night patrol. The bones of the wrasse could be seen the the star's lair.
 
mps9506

mps9506

Well-Known Member
I had always read and did a lot of research on this before purchasing from an online vendor so I could get the exact one I wanted.
I guess I should clarify, this is what most people call a "serpant star."
Supposed to be a reef safe scavengar according to most website testaments. He is apparently to small or slow to capture my shrimp or fish or micro hermits who have remained unscatherd. However snails have never lasted very long in this tank.
Lesson learned.
I have however had black serpant stars in my display tank at work for a long time. My previous shop had one that was permanetly stuck in a rock. All he could do was stick his legs out and fish for food. Body apparently was too large to get back out...
Might take a look around for a black serpant star. Maybe not...
Mike
 
mps9506

mps9506

Well-Known Member
how large was it? Ours always stayed relatively small and has been in our display tank for over 4 years... Couldn't catch and eat a fish if it wanted too...
Wish my tank was large enough to support a nice looking linka or colorful fromia star.
 
Frankie

Frankie

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
Yeah I have baby brittle stars that like to eat the snails. They seem to go inside the shell and eat them up. I dont see them in the main reef though just in the clown tank. funny thing is there in the main reefs filter. Its a mud job so mabe they like the plant life there.
 
uclacsnerd

uclacsnerd

Member
I have a monster infamous green brittle star.. started out about 5" when i got it 18 months ago .. now it's easily 12"-14". Its a hoot to watch it come out from under the rock at full speed at feeding time. It eats anything i put in there including pulling food out my BTAs tentacles.

Touch wood however it hasn't eaten any fish yet. My fish never really go near it. Only casualty I know of is a sally lightfood crab I added to the tank one time.. poor thing didn't even make it to the bottom before a long green arm reached out and pulled it in... :D.
 
N

NHLblues44

Member
Here is a pic of mine. He has been in the tank for 2 years and he also comes runnung out like a scared kid when I throw any food in the tank. He's a pig but like I said he hasn't bothered anybody but that one time with the bangaii, and I even have a manderin that sleeps right out in the open on the bottom and he has never bothered him in 2 years either.
 
Little Luey

Little Luey

Active Member
I had a green brittle star once and it ate snails faster than I could replace them. and it is not like I was not feeding it either. It also ate a cleaner shrimp, a few crabs. But one good day I died.
 
Little Luey

Little Luey

Active Member
LOL. But of course, I could not harm such nice creature.
But I really do not miss it. I miss the 25 snails it ate.
 
Little Luey

Little Luey

Active Member
No, i did not kill it. It actually started loosing it's arms tips, little by little, then I put it on my QT but that was when it died on me. Even when I hated loosing snails I had plan on kepping the star in my refugium, I figure it could not eat any more live stock being in there.
 
mps9506

mps9506

Well-Known Member
I would pyut my in the sump, but I have open faced pumps on my skimmer and return. I don't need brittle star soup going through my tank....
 
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