I would like to call some attention to a pair of Crinoids I have been keeping in my Clownfish tank. About 3 three months ago I stupidly purchased a Crinoid without knowing what it was. After getting it home and drip acclimating it I decided to read up on it. Of course I found that most people think I am a major bone head (true) for buying it, and supporting a dealer who stocks these extremely delicate animals. Well after I got over the intial shock I began a strict regiment of Phytoplan, and Zooplan by two little fishies feeding with a turkey baster 2 daily. After the Crinoid dropped some arm segments in acclimation shock he seems to have setteled in well and regrew his arm back. I went back to the dealer and suggested that he try feeding them as I had and if he was not so inclined to do so then maybe he shouldn't stock them anymore. After another trip back to the same dealer several weeks ago I found an almost dead sad little crinoid. After giving the dealer the evil eye I took him home for $5 in what I thought was a hopeless attempt to revive him. I am pleased to report that after twice daily feeds with the above food he is regrowing all of his arms and is physically responding to the food by waving his arms. When Crinoids regrow their arms I can only conclude that conditions are satisfactory for their survival. Regeneration must be an energy consuming task for any creature. I do not recommend people buy these animals unless they do some research and are prepared to spend about 15 minutes a day just to care for them. I take a little sea water from the tank in a plastic cup, mix in a dash of zoo, and a dash of phyto, suck it up in the turkey baster and blast each one in the morning and at night.
Crinoids in Brazil
- Thread starter pilotinho
- Start date
LeslieH
Premium Member
Welcome to Rc. It sounds like you're doing an excellent job, congratulations! 
While I don't recommend that everyone (or anyone!) rush out & buy them, for those who already have one here's some general information on their feeding methods from Answer.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/crinoidea-2?cat=technology):
"Crinoids are exclusively passive suspension feeders, extracting food particles from the ambient water. Crinoids are indiscriminate feeders, and the tube feet capture organic and inorganic particles with a median size of about 50 micrometers and rarely larger than 500 μm. The organic food component consists primarily of phytoplankton, protozoa, and crustacea. Crinoid morphology and behavior strongly reflect their total reliance on water movement for nutrient supply. Crinoids avoid slack-water environments, living in areas dominated by currents, wave action, or multidirectional flows."
For more extensive information check out Chuck Messing's site - he's the top man in crinoid studies.
http://www.nova.edu/ocean/messing/crinoids/10 Crinoid diets.html
http://www.nova.edu/ocean/messing/crinoids/9 Feeding postures.html[/url]
While I don't recommend that everyone (or anyone!) rush out & buy them, for those who already have one here's some general information on their feeding methods from Answer.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/crinoidea-2?cat=technology):
"Crinoids are exclusively passive suspension feeders, extracting food particles from the ambient water. Crinoids are indiscriminate feeders, and the tube feet capture organic and inorganic particles with a median size of about 50 micrometers and rarely larger than 500 μm. The organic food component consists primarily of phytoplankton, protozoa, and crustacea. Crinoid morphology and behavior strongly reflect their total reliance on water movement for nutrient supply. Crinoids avoid slack-water environments, living in areas dominated by currents, wave action, or multidirectional flows."
For more extensive information check out Chuck Messing's site - he's the top man in crinoid studies.
http://www.nova.edu/ocean/messing/crinoids/10 Crinoid diets.html
http://www.nova.edu/ocean/messing/crinoids/9 Feeding postures.html[/url]
iamwhatiam52
New member
Horror stories abound.
Don't tell anybody I was dumb enough to buy one a year ago. The poor thing will die if learns it's not supposed to live in a reef tank. I think it survives because my tank is so dirty.
Don't tell anybody I was dumb enough to buy one a year ago. The poor thing will die if learns it's not supposed to live in a reef tank. I think it survives because my tank is so dirty.
iamwhatiam52
New member
no claim of success, only survival.
It has lost no arms, and seems OK, but has not grown. It may be just surviving, not thriving.
I am haphazard as to care. It gets a squirt of anything small I feed te tank, and when I defrost food it gets a shot of the crud that comes off the cubes.
No idea what it owes it's survival to.
It has lost no arms, and seems OK, but has not grown. It may be just surviving, not thriving.
I am haphazard as to care. It gets a squirt of anything small I feed te tank, and when I defrost food it gets a shot of the crud that comes off the cubes.
No idea what it owes it's survival to.
![url]](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5Burl%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Freefcentral.com%2Fgallery%2Fdata%2F500%2F151673CrinoidHealthy.jpg%5B%2Furl%5D&hash=90f84c4e551b7f58cfef4f94f503bce7)
graveyardworm
Premium Member
Great work pilotinho! Its nice to hear success stories every once in a while.
These guys are EXTREMELY sensitive to changes in salinity and temp
I could have told you tha long ago Usually I beat people to death that say they bought one of these :lol:
Nice to see at least on person has manged to keep one and get the arms to regen back How long have you had them so far ?
Great job so far pilotinho :thumbsup:
I could have told you tha long ago
Usually I beat people to death that say they bought one of these :lol:Nice to see at least on person has manged to keep one and get the arms to regen back How long have you had them so far ?
Great job so far pilotinho :thumbsup:
iamwhatiam52
New member
Pic of my crinoid after over a year
Pic of my crinoid after over a year
It stays near the overflow on this coral where flow is fairly constant. Has not moved more than a few inches in six months. As I said, don't ask me why it survives. Just lucky I guess!
Pic of my crinoid after over a year
It stays near the overflow on this coral where flow is fairly constant. Has not moved more than a few inches in six months. As I said, don't ask me why it survives. Just lucky I guess!
