Invertebrates haven't moved yet, looking dead?

[TekCat]

I've lost one of the Turbos... for no apparent reason it stopped moving.... the smell was terrible. I guess it was rotting for a few days before I decided to pull it out for an inspections.... my hands smelled dead snail for a couple of days. So, don't be afraid, take your snail, if it is smell not too bad put it on something with algea.

 

[Fmellish]

Status update,

The one Turbo has died, however I can't reach my sand bed to retrieve him. My sand star is trying to eat him. Ever see a sand star try to turn upside down? It's funny.

My brittle star is alive, but still won't move. I direct fed him a 1/4 piece of shrimp last night, wasting another 1/4 piece in the process. Lowering food down to him is a bear and I always go through a couple pieces because one will slip off of the skewer on accident. So no I have 2 pieces of dinner shrimp sitting on my sand bed. One has been there a week, the other less than 24 hours.

What kind of critter can I get that will eat large chunks of meat I accidentally drop on the sand bed?

Also, although my brittle star will eat if direct fed, he does not move, and a few of his tentacles look like they got chopped off. A few of them are short and flat on the ends instead of long and wayv like others. Could he be stuck?

If I could just reach my damn sand bed I'd remove the snail, all the dead uneaten shirmp, and try to move the star !

Thanks
Josh

 

[techigirl78]

What kind of critter can I get that will eat large chunks of meat I accidentally drop on the sand bed?

A sea serpent will.

Get a pair of tongs, you will greatly appreciate them. Here's some cheaper ones: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

 

[Fmellish]

THanks

I'll get those tongs.

Josh

 

[Sharpy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6520533#post6520533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fmellish
What kind of critter can I get that will eat large chunks of meat I accidentally drop on the sand bed?

Many will warn you against it....but I have had no trouble with my green serpent star, he is a monster but finds any pieces of food lying around and keeps my readings all at ZERO. Hasn't harmed anything still living.

Tongs are great if you see it and get to it, but a star will sniff the stuff out like a bloodhound!

 

[techigirl78]

Sharpy - I think you start to see them waving their arms in the water column when they start going after fish. Just something to watch for in case.

 

[Fmellish]

Just an update.

My one turbo snail did die. I removed it from the tank. I also removed the dinner shrimp from the tank.

The brittle star yesterday came out of hiding and plastered himself on the glass. THis is odd behavior for a brittle star. I think he was suffering. He only has 3 complete arms now, 2 of the 5 are chopped off somehow. Maybe the snails were eating him?

Good news is that I was able to turn all of my pumps off to eliminate flow and i used a turkey basted to direct feed him mysis shrimp. I guess whole dinner shrimp are too large. He did eat the mysis shrimp. I also dropped him back in the rock so he isn't exposed.

I just need the guy to be indpendent enough to go out at night and have a little fun.

Thanks
JOsh

 

[tedmc2]

I have 3 or 4 brittle stars in my tank that must have come with the live sand. Several months after the tank finished cycling, I noticed an arm sticking out here and there from under the rocks.

I've never seen them whole, only an arm or two. Always in the same spot. One is at least 3 inches long. Sometimes they will reach up and snatch a piece of flake floating by.

IMO you don't need to be too worried about direct feeding them. I've never direct feed them and they seem to be getting along fine.

I'd also recommend getting a few Nassarius and Cerith snails. They are great for cleaning up detritus.

 

[Fmellish]

Thanks tedmc2 I will look into the snails too

Thanks
JOsh