Serpent Starfish

[jsdratm]

I was looking at some serpent starfish at the LFS today, but read that they have to be fed chopped meaty foods. Is this true or will they eat carnivore flakes as well? Has anyone had any bad experiences with serpent starfish? Thanks!

 

[Anemonebuff]

I have two. The brown with black bands and a black brittle star. They eat the leftovers that the fish miss. I do not feed flakes anymore, now I feed frozen. I do not know what success you would have with flakes.

 

[oldsaltman]

I am not sure what mine eats. He stays under the rocks and rarely comes out. He has been there over 9mo and eats what I feed the rest of the tank (a mixture of flake, frozen,pellet, etc).

 

[jsdratm]

Could I possibly feed it chunks of cooked, but unpeeled shrimp from the supermarket?

 

[imtheonlylp]

js, i had a serpent star (see avatar) and he was a joy to watch...i always fed prime reef flakes and he would always know when it was dinner time! even he was across the tank, he would scurry over and eat up whatever fell to the bottom...great addition to the tank! unfortunately i think a salinity spike may have got the best of him :*(

 

[LeslieP]

I had a green one for ~8 years until he grew to ~1 foot across which was just too big for my 55 so I gave him to someone with a bigger tank. He would just eat the food that the fish missed. But then, I feed my fish frozen chunks of a fish/scallop/shrimp mush. Some people have said that the larger ones will catch and eat fish if they are hungry, but that was never an issue with mine.

 

[crpeck]

Mine eats flake, frozen mysis, and once or twice a week I give him half a cube of Formula 1 or a piece of krill. You don't have to buy special food for them.

 

[geekreef_05]

Never fed mine before; but he's not as large as some of the ones Ive seen at marine stores. Overall great addition to a cleanup crew.

Ive never had a problem, but people say that if they're hungry they may start hunting creatures and fish.

 

[klhscooter]

Meet Brutus... I have had him 8 months and he will move soon to a friends 130 gallon tank. I will miss him. He eats everything I put in the tank..