brittle star, strange behavior

[greeneyedlady]

okay one of my brittle stars has suddenly developed a crush on my remora protein skimmer (the black box part in the tank) I have had to dig the big boy out like 3 times in the last 2 days, I am beginning to wonder if it is exploring alternative lifestyles, I got some fine mesh to put over the top where he keeps climbing in and so far so good, but I really don't want to keep it there forever unless I have to. I'm afraid it would get rather messy unless I rinsed the mesh out daily. Anybody else every had horny brittle stars with their equipment before :rolleyes:

[OrionGirl]

Could there be some food in there he's after? I've had a sand sifter that would get caught in a powerhead (messy!) but moving the powerhead up solved that problem. I'm not sure why it would be going in there, unless it smelled food.

[mogurnda]

My serpent star has its favorite dark, quiet spot. Maybe the star just likes its black box. Could you just let the star keep using it, or do you think it's likely it will be pureed?

[greeneyedlady]

well pureed brittle star is what I was worried about, but I moved the Maxi-jet that is down in the box so that the intake is almost against the wall of the box so if he does get back in there <fingers crossed> he doesn't get harmed. It could be the dark and it also could be food. He has just never gone near it before and with 65lbs of live rock in there he has plenty of room to hide in the tank. :confused:

[mogurnda]

Well, brittle stars don't have anything like a brain, so one can't expect brilliant behavior.

I had another thought. Is is possible that somebody is picking on it? It doesn't seem a likely explanation, in that my clowns beat the daylights out of my serpent whenever it gets near their eggs and it just ignores them, but it's a possibility.

[greeneyedlady]

Hmmmmmm doubt that anybody is giving the big boy any problems when you are 14 inches leg tip to leg tip you kinda make your own rules;)

But thanks for the information and the answer all I will be keeping my eye on things a little closer:p