Brittle or Serpent ?

[NMreefer]

Well that just about explains it. I just want to know what is recommend for a reef tank. I actually bought a serpent star this weekend at the stores recommendation. They said the brittles would eat crabs, snails and small fish, but after doing some reading, I read just the opposite. Help!

Thanks,
Phillip

 

[SavetheReefs]

Just avoid the green ones. Those are predatory. All the other ones are the reefs garbage men and are vital in the removal of waste and uneaten food.

SaveTheReefs

 

[NMreefer]

Very cool! I got a pinkish red one.

Phillip

 

[SavetheReefs]

Now depending on how big your tank is, how many fish you have, and how much food you put in your tank would give you an idea of how many brittle/serpent stars you should have.

My 180 is heavily populated and I feed the fish all the time. I think I have 4 or 5 big stars in the main tank and another one in the refugium.

SaveTheReefs

 

[NMreefer]

Mine is only a 70 , I only bought one very small star. It's probably 4-5 inches from tip to tip. A baby. All I wanted was a little diversity.

 

[SavetheReefs]

Are you sure it is a brittle/serpent star? I have seen red ones, but they are solid red. See if you can look on some online stores that sell livestock just to make sure of what you have. A 70 gallon tank, that is a weird size. But if you have a bunch of fish and feed a lot I would get another star.

SaveTheReefs

 

[Anonymous]

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.p ... ittle+star


This thread was about my brittle star

I haven't lost a fish since dumping him in the sump, but I am about to bring him back up to the top tank because I miss him...

 

[SavetheReefs]

knucklehead I just read your thread. And I disagree that all large brittle and serpent stars eat fish. Most crabs eat fish because they are opportunistic. Like I posted earlier I have 5 large stars and they have not and will not harm a fish. And all the stories you hear of people coming home and their stars or bristleworms eating their fish are true of only dead fish. Stars, bristleworms, and even some snails act as reef janitors and will eat dead fish.

Now onto your disappearing wrasses. They are jumpers flat out. I would bet anything they jumped. I have lost 2 carpenters, 1 lubbocks, 1 peppermint hog, and 1 exquisite wrasse to jumping. The first time the exquisite wrasse jumped I did not even know he was gone. I have a lot of fish and do not do daily roll calls. But need less to say he was in my sump for months. And keep in mind tank is in a wall and my sump is along side it. This time I still have not found the exquisite wrasse and I heard him jump. The lubbocks I found, I found 1 carpenters, and my cat found the other carpenters. She was caught carrying the carcass around the house.

I am in the process of velcroing acrylic plates on the sides and back of my tank. So they will get something like a basketball back board effect.

SaveTheReefs

 

[Anonymous]

Uhhh

I think I stated in the beginning that they did not jump.

I know they are jumpers, that is why the tank was completely covered.

if they went to the sump and then jumped then I would of found them in the cabinet as the sump tank is right up against the back and the only place for them to land is in front of the door.

They might of jumped into the cover and died of massive trauma to the head at which point the brittle dined...

 

[SavetheReefs]

knucklehead, if you talk to someon who has been doing this long enough they can tell you some stories of disappearing fish. Big ones, little ones, it doesn't matter. I moved one of my eggcrates to perform some maintenance only to come back and find that the peppermint hog had jumped out of the open side to on top of one of the covered sides where he died. We can send a man to the moon, do a heart transpant, but sometimes we can't find where our fish dissapear to???????????

SaveTheReefs

 

[Anonymous]

knucklehead, if you talk to someon who has been doing this long enough they can tell you some stories of disappearing fish. Big ones, little ones, it doesn't matter. I moved one of my eggcrates to perform some maintenance only to come back and find that the peppermint hog had jumped out of the open side to on top of one of the covered sides where he died. We can send a man to the moon, do a heart transpant, but sometimes we can't find where our fish dissapear to???????????

SaveTheReefs

I wasn't saying I don't know where the fish disappeared to, I know where it went :roll:

Disappearing fish is the only logical reason for the body of my brittle star to change from the size of a quarter and about 3/8" thick to the size of a silver dollar and about 3/4" thick doncha think? Another clue is that now that its in the sump ( I haven't lost a single fish since) his body has shrunk back down to its original size. Even though I have been giving it a small chunk of flounder every once in a while.

By the way, I have never used eggcrate, I have a glass top and behind that in the corner I have a homemade acrylic cover with sponge around the two pipes that go through it. No gaps at all.

insist away all you want though....

:roll:


:wink:

 

[SavetheReefs]

One day one up and disappeared.

I wasn't saying I don't know where the fish disappeared to, I know where it went

Well that is a little contradicting.

SveTheReefs

 

[Anonymous]

I have a black brittle and a tan and black serpent. They don't bother anything.

 

[Anonymous]

One day one up and disappeared.

I wasn't saying I don't know where the fish disappeared to, I know where it went

Well that is a little contradicting.

SveTheReefs

How is it contradictory? One of the fish one day up and disappeared. I know where it went.

Makes perfect logical sense

Are you being obtuse with me just because I have a red nose???

 

[Anonymous]

I found my green brittle star munching on my xenia one day. You guys think my xenia got "sick" and then the star started eating? :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, no I don't

:wink: