Red/brown brittle star not invert safe?

[Fiver]

I've had this reddish brown brittle star for two years. It came with my TBS package and I love it. It's disc is about the size of a fifty cent piece, and it's arms must span about 12-14 inches across.

I bought a peppermint shrimp yesterday that took up residence in a large finger coral at the opposite end of the 4-foot tank from where the brittle star lives.

Today, I saw the brittle star under the coral and hours later, I saw the shrimp's severed head. Are they known for killing inverts? It lived with another shrimp in the same rock for about a year. I never knew how that one died.

I'd like to get a cleaner shrimp one day, but am now worried about it being killed. I do feed this one every time I feed my fish.

 

[Monkeyfish]

They will sometimes go after small sleeping fish. I wouldn't be surprised if it ate an invert or 2.

 

[Fiver]

They will sometimes go after small sleeping fish. I wouldn't be surprised if it ate an invert or 2.

Thanks for the input. I was surprised, as it lives among a few porcelain crabs in easy reach, yet, has not eaten them -- at least, not the ones that are still alive! I've had my share of disappearing porcelain crabs, but I always thought it was due to a few gorilla crabs, which I just finally eliminated, or, the hermit crabs.

I think I'll play it safe and not introduce any more shrimps to my tank, which is a sad thought.

 

[pagojoe]

They will certainly kill shrimp, given an opportunity.

 

[Fiver]

They will certainly kill shrimp, given an opportunity.

Sad to hear. I won't be adding any more live shrimp meals for this thing!

 

[Daddi0]

They will eat fish, corals and inverts if they are hungry, gotta keep them well fed.

 

[Fiver]

They will eat fish, corals and inverts if they are hungry, gotta keep them well fed.

What do you feed yours, and how often?

 

[Daddi0]

What do you feed yours, and how often?

We havent had them (2) for very long. I have been giving them each a small shrimp every morning. I did a lot of reading on them and if they get really hungry they will suck zoas off rocks. Ours live by themselves in our 30 gallon cryptic sump/refugium.

Cheers! Mark

 

[Fiver]

We havent had them (2) for very long. I have been giving them each a small shrimp every morning. I did a lot of reading on them and if they get really hungry they will suck zoas off rocks. Ours live by themselves in our 30 gallon cryptic sump/refugium.

Cheers! Mark

Damn; I've had zoas disappear and blamed it on crabs!

Thanks!

 

[carrots]

Mine acquired a taste for snails.