brittle stars

[uclajay]

i was wondering if brittle stars pose any threats toward soft corals, or any other thing... i've heard rumors (not very credible ones) that they can eat a lot of things in your tank... i personally dont know a thing about them... any help?

 

[ophiuroid]

They are not a real threat to corals (except if they are not secured...they can be knocked over). They may eat an unhealthy soft coral but overall they pose no threat.

The green brittlestar Ophiarachna incrassata is a KNOWN predator in the wild. There are well over 2000 species of brittlestars so they don't all fall under the same umbrella.

There are all sorts of animals we put in our tanks that would not survive the "or any other thing" line including nearly all crabs. So you will have to define this a bit more.

 

[650-IS350]

GREEN DEATH... green brittle star...

 

[uclajay]

i guess my next question is what's good to put into a reef tank to stir up the sand.

 

[dfleary]

A green brittle star in a friend's tank ended up catching and killing a clownfish.

 

[petoonia]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8562208#post8562208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by uclajay
i guess my next question is what's good to put into a reef tank to stir up the sand.

Nassarius snails, sand sifting goby, serpent (brittlle) seastars (not green), hermit crabs, fighting conch, those are the ones I can think of.

Dont get a sandsifting starfish they eat the good critters out of your sand bed.

Good Luck!!!

 

[FEEDERFISH]

I have a yellow and a red brittle, both are fairly large, They raise their body off the tank bottom at night, i think to catch small fish or passing food. I hand feed mine krill. My fish like to nip at the tips of their legs but they have never been harmed or harmed my corals. I have clams with the red and no threat for over a year. You dont tend to see them much during the day unless they smell the food. I would say reef safe except for small fish that sleep in the rocks might be a meal for the lager brittles but they are fairly slow at hunting in my opinion

 

[Newreeflady]

delsol,

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