Large Brittle Star good or bad???

[K9coral]

I ordered some stuff from an online fs and along with my order came a brittle star that is huge (8" across +). I put it in my tank and then I thought about what it eats, Will this thing hurt any of my corals clams snails crabs or anything?
Thanks

 

[Unarce]

Your corals, clams, and crabs are safe. If hungry enough, the large ones do go after snails. I've heard that big ones sometimes go after small fish, too. I wouldn't worry too much about 8".

 

[K9coral]

What do they eat other than snails?

 

[Unarce]

Do you mean, as their regular diet?

They're usually sold as sand stirrers and detritus eaters but IMO, they weren't much good at either. They really glide over the substrate, and pretty much go crazy over meaty or prepared foods.

I had a Gaudy Serpent Star (the maroon kind) that after reaching 12" across, kept trying to pry open the Turbo Snails.

 

[Anonymous]

What you want to avoid at any cost is Ophiarachna incrassat. Gorgeous in green, brittle star that hits 10"-12" across, these things set traps for fish that work fantastically (and give you an idea why the genus is Ophiarachna!).

 

[K9coral]

The one I have is brown and looks like spines stick out all over him - Do these things bite or sting u if you pick them up ?

 

[Anonymous]

Not that I've ever experienced.

 

[Unarce]

SM,

You're referring to the common Ophiarachna incrassata, right? That's what most stores carry.

DLART89,

Sounds like you have one of the fancy brittlestars. They're a little less robust compared to the green ones. Not much of a threat, I don't think. I never heard about them stinging, either.

 

[Anonymous]

I love them....no threat at all to your other inhabitants and will eat the leftovers from fish feeding. I had one that looked like it had esploded one day. I found it in many pieces all over my tank. I was sad about this because it was so cool and the second animal I had purchased for my marine tank. I would get another but my Hawk would probably rip it apart.

 

[Anonymous]

SM,

You're referring to the common Ophiarachna incrassata, right? That's what most stores carry.

DLART89,

Sounds like you have one of the fancy brittlestars. They're a little less robust compared to the green ones. Not much of a threat, I don't think. I never heard about them stinging, either.

Indeed, seems I dropped an "a" in my other post about it..

 

[Anonymous]

I don't trust brittle stars, only in a large tank with big fish. Maybe I just had a rogue brittle star though.

 

[PeeJ]

Ophiothrix purpurea - what about that one? hte photo on marine depot looks like what i have...they are dangerous to fish? i was not aware

 

[Unarce]

MarineDepot might have it mislabeled. This is what I pulled up when I searched for Ophiothrix purpurea:

Not quite sure about this guy. Not as thick bodies as the Ophiarachna incrassata.

 

[Anonymous]

Other brittles and serpents can be fish eaters too don't assume they are all harmless. I was checking my tank last night when I got home from work with a flashlight and found my huge (12" +) smooth red serpent star doing the tent thing over the sand like you have seen green brittles do. I have seen red brittles and other serpents do this infrequently - to assume they are totally safe is a bad idea IMO - spot feed them occasionally and they may be less inclined to do this.

 

[fishfanatic2]

DLART89, You described the smae brittle that I have. I have that and another one with a 1.5 inch yellow watchman for about 4 months and no probs.

 

[Bamm Bamm]

I love the brittle stars but don't keep them anymore I've lost a few hundred dollars in fish the the big 8-10" green brittle star I used to have.. The little bastard even ate a pygmy angel..