Green Brittle Stars

[Reefer]

Right, heres one for you
I have read that the green brittle star can actually catch and eat the fish out of your tank (it has to be big enough obviously).
What are your views on this?
I had one once but took it back it gave me the creeps!! dont like any of them personally!

[Macca]

Green Brittles can grow very large and have been reported to prey upon small fish. I personally kept a monster in my sump that was never any trouble, but I never kept anything without a shell in there also. :) I recommend the small browns blacks or red caribbean :mrgreen:

IMO only keep small ones in main tank and sump them when they get big.

James

[Wilfy]

I have had a green brittle star in my reef tank for about 4 years now, very active when food goes in the tank and he is hungry, so I target feed him with a defrosted lance fish.
I also have a brown variety that you never see apart from its appendages protruding from under its rock. These are very lethargic in comparison to the green variety.

[Paul P.]

Green Brittle Stars (Ophiarachna incrassata) havent got the nickname "The Green Death" for nothing, not something i`d want to risk with my gobies or firefish

[Dons1903]

I have had a green brittle star for the last couple of years and it is now about 10" across.

Never had any problem with it catching any little fish, but I do spot feed it as well as it picking up other food that hits the bottom.

[Reefer]

Dont go on holiday dons!! you may come back to no fish!
Yeuk!

[Macca]

And a bigger fatter starfish. :whew:

[Dons1903]

I must have a well behaved one :wink:

Had it for a few years and been away several times without any problems (so far)

[liquidlogic]

wht stars are good for a 100 gal tank with lots of sand about 1.5 inches deep i want detrius scavengers

[thereefshop]

I had a green brittle in a reef tank for years, fed it every 2 days no probs, BUT i had 2 customers with them who never fed them from one next to the next and both had fish vanish!! maybe it was the star maybe it was'nt so always feed your inverts no matter what it is.
:-D

[liquidlogic]

i agree. yes theres scavengers but theres only so much a hermit can scavenge.

feed ur inverts at least twice a week sounds good to me

[Reefer]

I thought that having a clean up crew meant that they clean up uneaten food, algae & detritis etc if you feed them then surely thats detracting from the job they do as basically you are adding more pollution to the tank by feeding them?

[Macca]

Good point! But some of us keep our clean up crew as our wee pets! But I know where you are coming from! :-D

James

[total*clowns]

yep, I agree with the last two comments too.....I don't like to spot feed my inverts, but at times I feel a tad sorry for them and give them a little feast :lol:

* stands back to slap wrist*

[Reefer]

Yes i was being the hard taskmaster there and guess what I found myself doing tonight? Yes I was feeding my new cleaner shrimp some brine shrimp as well as the fish, what am I like ???? :roll:

[tonyponty]

lol so do we feed them or not
i give me shrimps a little bit on fresh mussel once a fortnight is this ok

[Reefer]

I give up :?
I guess a little now & then isnt going to do any harm is it

:whew:

[Macca]

Some folk like corals others fish and the odd ball like myself inverts! In general we probably keep too large a clean up crew and to ballance their hunger we spoon feed them. As long as no food is being left uneaten and your talk is fully matured I personally dont see any harm in feeding them direct.

James

PS A peppermint shrimp will not eat glass nems if you are feeding it fish steak via a Hikari pellet.