brittle starfish

[jadeguppy]

Are these reef safe? Are they a good idea? Is there a benefit to having some? Tank in question is a 125g mixed reef.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I like the serpent ones better.

If you do go for a brittle, I would suggest staying away from the green ones. People ( myself included ) have lost fish to them.

 

[chrisp074]

Depends on the species, I have a Ophioderma ensiferum, got to be almost 10 years old (I'm the third owner, had it for 5+ years now), and is easy to keep, feed, and has not bothered anything. Besides it's pretty cool.

Oh yes, and avoid Ophiarachna incrassata, they are known fish eaters.

 

[jadeguppy]

Is there a way to tell the difference visually?

 

[Toddrtrex]

Basically serpents have smooth arms, and brittle have "spikey" arms.

 

[chrisp074]

They look completely different, google the names and you will see. Basically avoid anything green.

 

[jadeguppy]

Sorry, I meant between the two types of brittle stars. Avoid green sounds easy enough.

 

[reidcrandall]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14036067#post14036067 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
I like the serpent ones better.

If you do go for a brittle, I would suggest staying away from the green ones. People ( myself included ) have lost fish to them.

I agree here. The serpents are safer bets. I have one in my tank to track down any food that gets trapped in the rocks and anything that dies in there (snails, etc).

 

[Whys]

Don't expect to see it a whole lot. Things dig themselves under your rock and try to only eat what ever comes within arms reach.

I say, don't feed it until it moves around the tank a bit. That way you know its hungry and it will actually eat a bit of detritus between feedings. Make it earn its keep.

 

[otrlynn]

I have a black brittle star that has been in the tank about 18 months. Stretched out, he's about as big as a dinner plate. I tend to see the body only at night, but often there are a few legs poking through the crevices in the rocks at the bottom of the tank. I think it does a pretty good job scavenging food that the fish miss. I don't feed him--he gets what he can find and has thrived.

 

[Whys]

Overfeeding your fish equals hand feeding your star. Two ways to the same destination. Stars can not survive on detritus alone, but overfeeding your star will add to your bio-load rather than reducing it. Make sure it has it own food to eat, but try to keep it hungry.

 

[jadeguppy]

Do they stir the sand?

 

[Elan L.]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14037115#post14037115 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jadeguppy
Do they stir the sand?

yes

 

[Whys]

Gently, which is good for a DSB. Their main benefit, as I see it, is they clean UNDER the rock. Liverock deposits a fair amount of detritus all by itself.

 

[Johnny C]

I had a green brittle and it ate two of my fish (flame angel and clown goby, rip). Stay AWAY from the greens, and I really wouldn't recommend brittles at all. The only thing mine stirred is my emotions from losing my fav fish to him! :/

 

[Whys]

I've haven't heard of anyone losing anything to a brown brittle. Don't know about the black ones. I have a red-stripper goby, court-jester goby, emerald crab, and a sexy shrimp. None of them seem afraid of the star and star has never bothered any of them, even tho I try to keep my star hungry.

IMO, they are an excellent addition, as I don't know of anything else that will clean under the rock as effectively.

 

[SWaquariast]

I would stay away from all brittles myself. They are great if you have the micro ones.

 

[BucNtears]

I have both a serpent and brittle starfish and have not had any problems. The brittle is also the size of a dinner plate and the serpent is as big as a saucer plate.
Every blue moon I hand feed the brittle star a small piece of krill.

 

[slimy fish]

I have a serpent and have had no issues with it in my reef tank.