View Full Version : Brittle Star Experiences?
About a week ago I added Spike, a black/orange-red brittle star to my reef. He is maybe 6" across in diameter. Acclimated him to match SG and temp via a drip line. Went in the reef just fine, and the dogs were quite puzzled what it must be as it was staying out in the front corner at first. Turned the lights off and it went to hide in a large cave where I could still see it via the moonlights.
Next morning it was trying to hide, but in an odd way...it was arched up almost in a ball shape ..kind of like a fancy Christmas ornament if that makes sense. Anyhow, the lights came on not long after and I was not surprised to see it missing from plain view when I next went by the tank.
Didn't take long to figure out where it hid nearby. I didn't see it, but I did see the George the dragon goby was no longer hanging out at his cave door in the rear of the tank, but rather hanging around outside the cave. That goby has nipped and chased after Butters for daring even come near his door (back when Butters was first introduced and probably why he is such a wimp now), and I have NEVER seen Honda the lawnmower blenny move so fast as he did when he first got intro'd to the tank and he made the serious error of investigating George's cave. But I figured maybe a 6" brittlestar was a bit more of an issue than a fish for poor George.
Anyhow...here is is almost a week later to the day and I've not seen Spike again. George is still hanging near the cave entrance, but not going in it. I realize they are nocturnal and crptic creatures but I don't want him to go hungry. I did get him for clean up crew intentions but when I did some research I saw recommendations to feed him. I've tried putting some silverside at the end of a DIY feeding stick and dangling it near the cave entrance (much to the goby's dismay) but no sign of Spike. No arm, nada.
For those that have brittle stars what are your experiences when it comes to seeing them, if you fed them or allowed them to scavenge soley, etc? I'm frankly worried he has died. Oh...and no ammonia spike up until 3 days ago.
Pufferpunk
12-22-2007, 2:01 AM
I have a foot long black one that I never, ever see, in a 40g tank. All I see are arms reaching out for food from under the rocks.
I'd be fine with seeing it's arms...even the itty bitty tip of a single spike
Miss my puffer
12-22-2007, 2:36 AM
Mine disappears for awhile, then shows up every once in a while to eat (even if the lights are on). Afterwards he disappears for awhile. Normally he goes between 2 and 3 days depending on what I am feeding. I also kinda wonder if he has a liking for chromis because the last time I added the 6 small chromis they disappeared one every couple of nights, but whatever happened to them has not messed with the yellow coris or bangai cardinal. I did see the starfish eat a dead chromis, but have no proof that he attacked the live ones other than they were eating fine and swimming around and then at night they would retreat to a cave (which is where I think he ambushed them). That was the second batch, the first batch of chromis I thought were killed by my clowns that is why I got rid of them (hummm, I wonder?). Well no more chromis for that tank. Again I have no real proof he is a killer ( I have never heard of killer brittlestar), but I'm not taking that chance anymore.
Pufferpunk
12-22-2007, 2:37 AM
I've gotta ask--what puffer do you miss & what happened to him?
Miss my puffer
12-22-2007, 2:54 AM
I had an awesome three-stripe who didn't survive my move, I think other than the heavy freshwater casualties I took in my move he was the only saltwater fish that didn't survive the move. Him and my porcupine puffer teamed up on my cousin and taught him that you should not stick your finger in the tank and tease them. I told him to watch out they can swim really fast short distances, he didn't believe me and ended up losing some skin off the tip of his finger. The porcupine didn't survive the tank leak (I had to drop what was left and move him and the three stripe to a different tank without much warning). I've got a dogface puffer now, but he is just not the same, although he is growing on me. I would like to have him and a porcupine in my 90 when it gets running, just not sure how they will get along, although the other two got along great.
( I have never heard of killer brittlestar), .
Oh I have, the green variety! Those are notorious for being fish killers...although having one isn't a sure sign that it will kill a small fish it would be high on my list of suspects if one showed up dead. I purposely avoided the green variety when I bought one.
Catpicklesdog
12-22-2007, 6:49 AM
I had a green brittle star and never had a problem with it. But I did used to see it on a daily basis.
jayghmi
12-22-2007, 8:26 AM
I have a huge brittle star that came as a hitch hiker at least 6 inches long if not bigger. I also have a monster tiger serpent star that is probable 9 inches across. Little over-kill for a 46 gallon, so I feed them twice a week with a squeeze tube feeder. Flake food mixed with a little water from the tank.
Since they both have been in my tank for a few months they know ( I think)that they are safe, I see them all the time. In fact, the tiger star will come completely out in the front of the tank away from the rock when I am feeding the general population. I think he/she is pretty smart - he will often rocket (moves pretty fast) over to my skimmer output for anything that may come out after feeding. They do fight with my blood shrimp for food, which is pretty comical.
I can always get them to come out with a little food to show them off- with the lights on.
Since they have both been in my tank I have had zero hair algae and no new Cyno outbreaks. I have to think its them eating every scrap of food they find.
They are quite an active and visible part of my tank.
Well this isn't making me feel good. I am tempted to mess with the rocks in that area and see if Spike is still alive.
jayghmi
12-22-2007, 8:40 AM
I hope you find spike. I would guess that mine hanging out is somewhat unusual. My brittle star is by far more timid - didn't really become brave until the serpent star took over the tank.
I'll check ammonia first in any event. Not quite ready to move rocks around just yet.
salty420
12-22-2007, 5:58 PM
as you know i have a gbs and i love it. i can see it at all times, he hangs out behind the rockwork in plain sight. he comes out most nights and never turns down a feeding. he's never showed any intrest in my fish, even my tiny little neon goby... sounds like you acclimated your star fine but who knows maybe he did die..? or he's just chilling somewhere, i'd check the ammonia and give it a few more days before pulling rocks...
jayghmi
12-22-2007, 7:26 PM
My guess ( I hope)- Hiding! My hitch hiker came in the one of the smallest LR pieces I put in my tank
as you know i have a gbs and i love it. i can see it at all times, he hangs out behind the rockwork in plain sight. he comes out most nights and never turns down a feeding. he's never showed any intrest in my fish, even my tiny little neon goby... sounds like you acclimated your star fine but who knows maybe he did die..? or he's just chilling somewhere, i'd check the ammonia and give it a few more days before pulling rocks...
Oh I agree, no pulling rocks before I have a better confirmation that it is dead. And after talking to someone with the exact same colorization and size he thinks it was spawning with the way it was shaped in the morning. He said that was actually a good thing and that is why he thinks it is so cryptic right now as his goes into big time hiding right after. He has had it for 7 years! I didn't realize they had such a long life.
My guess ( I hope)- Hiding! My hitch hiker came in the one of the smallest LR pieces I put in my tank
I'm hoping too and going to keep thinking that until I have better reason not to.
clown-lover
12-22-2007, 11:26 PM
Yeah I did that for Shirley and let me tell you the mess it made.. Wow.. I hope you find spike ok and your goby isn't ticked off at your anymore..
Has he started looking for a second home yet? Mine has seveal all around the tank.. I would actually love to see all of the tunnels under the sand.. LOL
Grins
12-22-2007, 11:30 PM
Kinda, he has dug out some areas around the same rock but I'm thinking he is trying to get Spike to exit through another area so he can then go build the opening back up. Sneaky goby, just stays guarding the main exit. You'd think he would figure out Spike isn't going to leave it he can't get out the door.
Miss my puffer
12-25-2007, 3:57 AM
Any luck with spike yet? I laughed when I sat down and read the new aquarium fish magazine and one of the articles started off talking about killer green brittles. I saw my star in the article and thought "Yep, there is my soon to be extinct star" (not really, I just have to watch his tankmates). The article talked about how they raise their bodies up to look like caves and when the fish swim under they grab them. I have seen my star hunched up before, just thought it was on the move and got spooked and froze, now I know he was looking for dinner. Just found it amusing that we were just talking about it and it came out in a magazine a couple of days later.
Grins
12-25-2007, 10:02 AM
Yes, great news! I found Spike yesterday! He is out and about and took a nice piece of silverside for dinner last night. George the Goby has his cave back so all is well in the tank. I find it funny that he spawned when he got in my tank. I really do have the invert love nest of all love nests. :lipssealedsmilie:
tamableanimal
12-25-2007, 7:51 PM
I have 8 brittle and serpent stars with one of them, a large green in my fuge. Other than when I feed 2 or 3 times a week. I very seldom ever see them. When I put in my orange serpent, it disappeared for over a week before finally coming out.
salty420
12-25-2007, 11:58 PM
glad to hear he's not MIA anymore!
Grins
12-26-2007, 12:35 AM
I have 8 brittle and serpent stars with one of them, a large green in my fuge. Other than when I feed 2 or 3 times a week. I very seldom ever see them. When I put in my orange serpent, it disappeared for over a week before finally coming out.
You have 8? Wow. What kinds do you have?
Grins
12-26-2007, 12:35 AM
glad to hear he's not MIA anymore!
Me too and best of all where he now "hides" I can see him.
Was able to get a few photos of Spike the other night: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=356
Miss my puffer
01-06-2008, 10:51 PM
Spike looks cool. I bought a new star a week ago only to find him in pieces the next morning. Tested the water, retested, Alk was a little on the high side, but other than that everything looked fine. So I took a sample of water to the lfs and had them test it. glad I did. The alk wasn't a little high, it was alot high!!! So I bought a new alk kit and have been doing more water changes to try and bring it back down. I'm just glad my corals and clam didn't die. It's not bad enough I lost my star, but the lfs has this awesome coral that I want (maybe it will still be there when the tank settles back down). Guess I learned that when in doubt, have someone else test the water for you.
Yikes sorry about that! What kind of star was it?
salty420
01-07-2008, 11:54 PM
grins those pics of spike make me think that maybe someday if my gbs gets dangerously big (starting to get there methinks at about 10" across) i may have to trade it for a rbs...
He really is a cool star, do you get to see your green one often?
SHK_ATK
01-08-2008, 11:14 AM
i have a bbs and a rbs in my big tank and I see the red arm here and there esp around feeding time but lately I havent seen the bbs, I THINK I have one in my 40G as well but I dont know since I dont see it I know one time he tried to craw out of the tank and was hanging on the side half in the water had to put him back in the water.
Subliminal
01-08-2008, 11:17 AM
Kind of a tangent, but i have an emerald crab that i see about once a month...
that being said, and to tangent once again, i've been in san diego for 4 days now and hope all is well back home in my slice of the reef. :)
Grins
01-08-2008, 12:49 PM
Hope you're having some fun there Damon.
salty420
01-08-2008, 4:36 PM
He really is a cool star, do you get to see your green one often?
yes i can always see him behind the rocks and he comes out in front in the evenings, expecially when he's hungry. that's when i run for the silver sides :) he can take down almost a whole one now :eek:
Do rbs get on with sand shifting stars? i've had freddy for over three years now and would hate to cause problems.
Great pics Grins