Brittle Star - Prime Suspect!

[Jcam]

I've been scouring for information on a brown spiny brittle star possibly nabbing unsuspecting shrimp/crabs/fish in the night. So far the general consensus seems to be that they only go for them if they're starving.

I've gotta tell ya... In just the last 3 days I have witnessed our new brittle star try to nab my cleaner shrimp, watchman goby, and hermit crab. This is after he's been fed clams in the half shell; he is not starving! The brittle star had actually wrapped around the goby's tail, but the little guy managed to pull away. The poor scared hermit was saved by his shell, and escaped pulling himself along the rocks. My husband thinks I'm imagining things :angryfire:

MIA: Bicolor Blenny, Peppermint Shrimp, Emerald Crab.
I've been testing my water every couple days since our Blenny first went missing and our Apex readings have been perfectly stable. Everything's as grand as it's always been, and no one else seems affected. There hasn't been any casualties/missing before last weeks star addition.

At this point, I'm convinced the Brittle star is a homicidal maniac! My husband is the one that wanted the star, and it may hit the fan:uzi:, but I might be hauling this guy back to the LFS.

Has anyone else had this experience with them? Most of what I read said they were pretty docile.

 

[hotelbravo]

I have 3 in my tank they like to hide on this flat sheet of live rock I used to make an island for my anemone. They are always around the fish, within inches. I havent seen any even extend an arm out at a fish. Very peaceful in my tank maybe you should trade him in for another

 

[Betta132]

If you saw your brittle trying to eat something, remove it immediately. You could trade it for a different species, perhaps?

 

[Nina51]

i have 3 in my 75g, this one being the behemoth. he could easily take any of my smaller fish but i have never seen him even attempt it. he gets fed raw shrimp every couple of days and recently, he has been eating an entire shrimp, cut into 3 or 4 pieces.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/TANK/brittle%20star_zpsxftx36fp.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/TANK/brittle%20star_zpsxftx36fp.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo brittle star_zpsxftx36fp.jpg"/></a>

are you sure yours isn't a green brittle star? they WILL eat fish.

 

[Jcam]

Thanks for the feedback guys, it's been pretty frustrating. Yeah I'm 100% sure he's not a green. Looking at pictures he matches "brown spiny brittle". His center is a solid nickel size, tentacles maybe 3"-4" each. Is that large or small for this species? Is there any species that's smaller or more docile? Not to mention flipping his tentacles all over my coral, irritating them. Watched as he flopped one across my hammer coral, pulled it back and pieces came off, like what the heck lol, is that normal? I just don't understand, it seems to be very odd that they would go after things. I'm afraid to add to my tank, I don't want to sentence anything more to death, or have new corals just thwapped all over.

 

[twizztedbz81]

That is quite bizarre. I have a Red Brittle and he doesnt bother anything. Keeps to himself, scavenges for food when it drops to the sand, and last night I found him on top of my bioballs cap. Not sure why he went there but hes not starving for sure. Must just have gotten the one evil star.

 

[AirForceAquariu]

I have a very large fellow I call Spike. Never shown any interest in harming anything. He is plenty large enough to eat anything in the tank except the flame angel.

He even used to live in the same cave as my Royal Gramma. Never an issue.