brittle star fish, huge ,killing fish ??

[genzod66]

i have a huge brittle green star fish in a 24 gallon tank, im wondering if it could kill fish ? i had like 3 totally healthy fish die in a couple days ? one was stuck to the powerhead, they ate the day before, and the starfish is roaming all over and its one of the biggest ive seen ? thanks

 

[thebkramer]

green brittles are known to be predatory when they get big. sounds like yours is on a massive hunt!! :sad1:

I'm sure if you do a search here on RC.. you will find many sad/angry stories

 

[genzod66]

well i have a 125 gallon reef,should i switch him ? or would that be bad as well ?

 

[thebkramer]

they are nicknamed "green death" from what I read.. I personally would evict him!!! and replace with a more docile star..the Fancy Tiger Stripe is one of the more peaceful starfish. unless you have fish that might eat them...

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Ophiarachna incrassata, green brittle starfish is a known fish eater. Moving it to a larger tank won't stop it's behavior. The only suggestion is to spot feed it a few times a week, but even doing that may not discourage it's innate nature to prey on fish. A couple of links for you:

http://echinoblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/giant-green-brittle-stars-of-death-when.html
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm