Brittle Starfish Grabbing fish?

[StephLionfish]

I have a brittle star that is always in the liverock...Literally in it. My lionfish sits on the live rock all the time in the crevices.. My brittle star - right now- is grabbing onto the lionfish...and the lion doesn't even care...What should I do?! I can't get the star out..because it's so far in the rocks all the time, and I don't have another tank for the lion..

 

[mscarpena]

If your lionfish is large enough I doubt it can eat it.

 

[rugby74]

How big is your star?

 

[StephLionfish]

Ok, thanks you two for the reply, but all is cool now. ( Well, I hope anyways). Each of the star's legs where about two inches long. The lionfish is about 3 inches. I moved the lionfish to a different tank, and the starfish to a different tank. ( Apparently I'm just a worrier, because everyone is still alive) But, thanks again,

Steph

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

you can fresh water dip the rock with the star in it...or should i say fresh water soak it...drop the rock wait for him to crawl out really ticked off....then scoop the rock and start out...i have done it several times no casualties...well i am sure the pods and bacteria on the rock dont fair to well, but the stars have always been fine...

 

[rssjsb]

What color is the star?

 

[StephLionfish]

The star is...brown(?) I dont really remember. It looks like a really light brown color...Little "hairy" legs. I haven't seen it since I put it in my 210...lil guy could be anywhere. i plan to see him when he's bigger:inlove:

 

[AJSTITAN14]

Probably wont get much bigger.

On our first piece of live rock we got a large mini brittle star who poked his arms out of cracks in the rock. At night they were way out. After two years he is in the same place and we have several other brittle stars that are about his size. We love him because he was the first and refer to him as Ol' Grandaddy.

 

[mndfreeze]

There are a few species of brittle stars that do go after fish in the wild and in aquariums but nearly all the ones sold in the trade are not that type and are detrivores. Unless your lionfish was sick I doubt the star could really do anything to it other then give it a caress. It could have smelled messy food on it since lions are known messy eaters and been cleaning it off for all you know.

If it's only 2 inch long legs, its relatively small for the store purchased brittles. Mine has legs at least 6 to 7 inches and it just reaches out and steals food from stuff like my corals.