Anyone have/had a serpent star?

[jdsabin1]

Thought I would try one since they are supposedly decent scavengers and might add interest. Anyone have any in their tank and what did you think?

I know brittle stars can get nasty but I've read that serpent stars are okay to have.

Any input most welcome.

Thanks.

 

[FlyGTI]

Had 'em both, Jeff, and I believe you saw them both as well. I'm still suspicious that my brittle star may have had something to do with a bicolor blenny's disappearance, but the Warren Report is still somewhat vague.

They were a black brittle and a grey serpent star, and both lived very happy lives in my 90 awhile back. Both, to the best of my knowledge, are in Dan Hinch's sump, and they're probably large enough that if they wanted to, they could take over the world.

I'd heartily recommend them, although I'd stay away from a green brittle. They do a great job of cleaning up detritus.

 

[ERTLEY]

I have a green serp.Never bothered anything.Some are not reef safe,but i think the greens are.Hope this helps!

 

[got2lb]

Everyone says that the green ones are the worst!

Here's a <a href="http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=6443909#post6443909">thread</a> I started a while back on starfish. Maybe that will help you out.

 

[ERTLEY]

I know 5 or 6 people who have greens with no probs!Any star can go south as far as i'm concerned,but in my knowledge..I would ask where does everyone say they are the worst?

 

[FlyGTI]

About five tanks ago, I had a green brittle that was about 8 inches in diameter, and he pinned a fairly healthy pink skunk clown to the wall and that was about all she wrote.

I also know of a story (I didn't witness this but I trust the source) about a 12 inch brittle star that took down an adult angelfish (I believe it was a Koran). I'm not entirely sure as to the details, which makes me question its authenticity, but based on the behaviour that I have personally witnessed, I'd say that it would be feasible if the angel wasn't entirely healthy.

I guess my perspective on it would be that if you have the option, perhaps you might choose something other than a green brittle.

 

[ERTLEY]

My advice is to keep any brittle well fed,as i do with mine which is about 10" in diameter.Honestlly i have had a few in the last couple years/and friends as well with no probs!I would say the main thing is don't give them a reason to eat your fish!

 

[FlyGTI]

I think that like others have said, they're somewhat opportunistic creatures. If they spy a chance to grab a meal because an animal isn't entirely healthy, they may well do so.

Sage advice, Ertley. Thanks for joining the thread! Nice to have some PA participation!

 

[ERTLEY]

I agree also,just my opinion on greens though.I beleive i have seen stranger stuff happen on the reef!Like a super nasty coral bueaty i have,that seems to hate everyone around him...
Have a great day FlyGTI!!!!!!

 

[FlyGTI]

You've got a cranky one? I used to run the maintenance dept. at an LFS in Michigan and we had a few coral beauties that were pretty illtempered too.

 

[ERTLEY]

Very territorial,My other fish seem to tolerate him though!I always thought they were peaceful.But sometimes you never know til it happens

 

[JEFF SCHENSE]

Serpent Star

Serpent Star

I've had a Emerald Green Serpent Star for years with no problems. Its a great scavenger. Only problem is that it can knock over small corals.

Mine is now quite large.

For a while I was loosing snails. I thought it might be the star, but found the culprit to be a Conch snail I purchased. The conch snail is now in my sump.

I think the serpent star is safe.


Jeff

 

[Mdoug25]

About 3 years ago I had a really healthy Diamond Goby with a borrow under some live rock that he meticulously maintained. One night my 10" brittle star found his way inside. I was pretty concerned about the two down there together. I made several attempts to pull the brittle star out without disrupting my aquascape, but it was fruitless. The goby made a few more borrows around the tank but never anything like his/her castle that was now co-occupied. About a week or so later, the sun came out but the goby did not. In fact, I never saw it again, not even a trace. It's the only tank mystery I haven't solved to date....but my gut tells me that the brittle star knows something about it. The star lived in the borrow for another 6 months before moving on....

 

[tibbs2]

Green Brittle Star aka "The Green Death" according to Shimek's invertebrate guide....

 

[cabenn]

heh Jeff, I had the same problem with the Conch I bought from Hung at SoM. I noticed I was losing snails left and right and found the culprit to be the Conch ;p

I talked to hung and he gave me store credit for it when I returned it and gave me 20 snails for free That's about how many the darn thing ate just in the week and half he was in there :>