Banded serpant sea star I got from raffle ticket

[tcoral]

OK, at the frag swap people were saying it'll be OK in my 30 gallon tank so I put him/her in. Then I start reading that it may get 14" and eat small fish if it isn't fed enough? Ugh, please tell me my hermits and gobies will be OK or should I try and get him out of there!

 

[BodiBuilt]

I have kept serpent stars in nearly every tank with many type's of small fish, crab's, snail's ect. and never had problem's... keep your tank well fed and it will have no urge to hunt live food : )

 

[Auntbeez]

I don't know about the size of the tank, but I have a HUGE green serpent star(who everyone says eats fish) and he has been very well behaved in my 75gal. I feed him Wardleys Shrimp Pellets Formula. The kind you get at Walmart. I don't know if this is good for him or not but he pigs out on them and I am missing no fish.
Here is an old picture of mine:

 

[tcoral]

Whew, I'd hate to see my randel's goby, hecter's or blenny go missing! Not worried about my clowns, they'll probably kick it's butt

 

[MrMikeB]

Serpent stars are all the rave for reef tanks. I have brittle and serpent stars on all my systems. They are great for scavenging the uneaten food and have an uncanny ability to find it.

 

[tcoral]

But aren't you supposed to not overfeed? Now I have to purposely overfeed to keep the star happy? What about the snails too?

I have a pom pom crab in there too. He'll be OK too?

 

[BodiBuilt]

You do not need to over feed... just keep the tank fed (do not underfeed excessivly) a unhungry star will have no need to hunt.

 

[kevin95695]

Yer fine. It's a great janitor. No danger.

 

[tcoral]

OK, just naturally paranoid now since I've learned that unlike freshwater tanks, once the fish are in there there's no catching them again without tearing everything out .

 

[Reefugee]

tcoral,

The only brittle star where I have read is a problme is the green brittle star. It seems like all other brittle stars are fine. Like everyone said - they are great to have in your tank. You can occasional feed it a small piece of shrimp or silverside.

Minh

 

[MrMikeB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12000734#post12000734 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tcoral
OK, just naturally paranoid now since I've learned that unlike freshwater tanks, once the fish are in there there's no catching them again without tearing everything out .

Not entirely true really. There are many ways to get them back out, but with serpent stars, you will have to lure them out of the rock work or set a trap if you ever plan to remove it. I find them hiding out in the strangest locations, like behind powerheads, cozying up under a clam, or just hanging out ringside in a rock crevice.

Oh and no need to overfeed - they scavenge and will find stuff you and I just do not think is there. Let them work for you and not you for them.