Sapphire Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 The lights in the rsm turned of and the brittle star came out.... Great so far (it's only been in the tank a few days) I saw it over a piece of rock with one large and a couple of small pulsing xenia. All good... then it went away and hid out at the back corner of the tank. The next time I looked a couple of minutes later, there is the brittle star all over one small xenia - it then proceeded to rip off most of it leaving the base and scurry way..... is this normal behaviour? I thought they were reef safe? It's been coming out and scavenging around (and over) the sun corals when I feed those (thawed brine shrimp generally every couple of days). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 hmmm i had a small chunch of green star polps disapear 2 nights after mine was introduced and a little more go last night i may go feed him now :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted December 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 I wondered if there was something missing from it's diet? Is it just testing? I would have thought there was enough in the tank for it to scavenge and it has had a good go at the leftover brine shrimp (although I syringe feed each polyp to reduce waste). My water parameters are fine (as of Sunday): SG 1.025 NH3/NH4 0.00 NO2 0.00 NO3 0.25 PO4 0.00 (salifert) Temp 26 (but some variation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 im not sure :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 This is not normal brittlestar behaviour, sounds like it could be super hungry. Can you name the species, or if not, post a pic? Then one of us can tell you what to feed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmxmatt Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 If its the same as the one I got from Organism (I'm assuming it is) then its the banded brittlestar. I dont think mine has eaten any coral yet, although there were a couple of hours of concern when I couldn't find my pregnant cleaner shrimp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted December 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Yes it is one of the ones from Organsim - just the standard black/brown bands. It's been eating brine shrimp from when I feed the sun corals but that is the only thing I'm actively feeding in the tank. We don't have any fish in there yet. Would I be best to direct feed it as well? I've been trying to reduce feeding the tank as it's still new and has some cyano and diatoms at the moment that I'm trying to eliminate - but that said I don't want to starve the brittle star of course. Edit: I also know putting the sun coral in early wasn't one of my smartest ideas, I did buy on impulse and so I have made things a little more difficult for myself. Still love them though - great sense of achievement from having one that wont' open at all to seeing it completely out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 more green star polps gorn stil got a bit left but it dosnt look happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Those brittle stars are a little different from the last lot - from memory they have no dark markings / banding on the body other than couple of dots above each leg, a bit like lekmalia (sp?) stars. In any case, a full brittle star is a happy brittle star, so chuck it a piece of pink shrimp and it will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhacque Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 It was vicious in it's brutal attack! It just RIPPED the head off this wee Xenia! Looked damn hungry to me! Poor Sapphire was horrified! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 yea something that eats a big hole in the middle of xenia or green star polps isnt a good sign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmxmatt Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 No fair! Mine just hides!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhacque Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Oh well, Wilson, it looks like we'll both be getting some pink shrimp..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 yea pink shrimp and some more green star polps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhacque Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 It didn't eat ALL your polyps though..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 i had it half covering a rock now its about the size of 2 or 3 50 cent coins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Feed the beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhacque Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 And feed the Brittle Star too! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Chopped mussel is a good food for them. I don't know about the particular one these are but sounds like it might be a problem. IE it's saying "feed me so much it will pollute the tank, or I'll rip your corals to shreds!" Sometimes we have to make the hard decisions, I had one of those green fish eating brittlestars, which came very close to catching a fish one time that I saw, and i don't know how many times that i didn't see. this despite that i fed it heaps, so i had to give it away. There are many brittlestars that will starve to death before eating a coral so you guys must have got a problematic type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted December 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 Thanks for all the advice. I'll certainly feed it for a bit and see how it goes. If it is just hungery then well and good. I'll try shrimp and or mussel. I understand iI can also feed grated mussel to the sun coral anyway. Given the way it eats I wouldn't expect there to be too much left over. I also don't really know how much about how much it'll eat - as I've seen it eating brine shrimp I had thought it was fine... Will see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 Here's my (harmless) one See the markings on the body? - a bit different to yours, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidb Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 yours is a tiger brittlestar I think Conch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire Posted December 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 Yes yours is different to mine. I don't have a photo but will see what I can find online and see if we can get a good pic. Some of the reading I have been doing agrees with Wasp, and suggests if they are hungry they may attack coral and some also suggests that they do need to be direct fed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 i have on ok pic of mine ill just upload it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.