Brittle star question

[kookie_guy]

ok, so I recently (about 1 week ago) put in a brittle star. You can see the pic to determine the species. It's a brown one with whitish bands. It's been 2 days since one of my gobies has gone missing. What are the odds of my brittle star having eaten my goby? I've checked everywhere for him. He's not in the back chambers, and he didn't go carpet surfing. So he's either dead under a rock somewhere (not sure why, he was happy and healthy last time I saw him) or the star got a hold of him. I doubt my RBTA got him, as he was about 1.5" in length. Any ideas? Should I start digging under my rocks to see if he's dead somewhere?

 

[allenspidey]

It would not shock me. The day after I put a brittle star in my tank my neon blue goby disappeared. I think he was probably eaten. Healthy little guy so I don't think he just up and died on me. That was probably 4 months ago and haven't seen him since. He was eaten!!!

[kookie_guy]

That bastard! My fiancee is going to be pissed. That goby was hers. Anyone else have past experience? Should I be pulling this guy out and giving him back?

[Atticvs]

That bastard! My fiancee is going to be pissed. That goby was hers. Anyone else have past experience? Should I be pulling this guy out and giving him back?

 

Are you putting that fromia in that 29G BC ?

[Rubicon06]

I had a brittle star much like yours, but a little darker and redder.

 

Anyways, it was pretty big, probably 12" tip to tip, I had it in a 20g high with my Oci clown 1-1.5" and a diadem dottyback also about 1-1.5", various inverts like a pom pom crab, and he never bothered anything or anyone.

[greeneyes]

I have 2 a black and green, and have not had any problems. They are huge I would say 9-12" tip to tip. But there is always that chance.

[kookie_guy]

Are you putting that fromia in that 29G BC ?

 

she's already in there. Been there for about a week now. Toured the entire tank a couple times already. Pretty active for a star fish. Why do you ask??

 

 

 

I had a brittle star much like yours, but a little darker and redder.

 

Anyways, it was pretty big, probably 12" tip to tip, I had it in a 20g high with my Oci clown 1-1.5" and a diadem dottyback also about 1-1.5", various inverts like a pom pom crab, and he never bothered anything or anyone.

 

I have 2 a black and green, and have not had any problems. They are huge I would say 9-12" tip to tip. But there is always that chance.

 

Ya I went to my local big als. The 2 guys there I always deal with are full of info, and they have never steered me or my buddy wrong, so I trust them. They assured me it's one of 2 things...

 

1) the fish was already dying, showing signs of weakness, and the brittle got him. In which case, it did me a favour because I didn't have a sick fish die in the tank.

 

2) the goby just found a good place to hide, and that's all there is to it.

 

They assured me that if the goby was alive and healthy, the brittle star wouldn't touch it.

[justinl]

I usually like to disagree with big al's as much as possible, but in this case, yes I agree with them. The new livestock might just be intimidating the goby into hiding (they can be very secretive if they want to). Dont go dismantling the rocks to find out though. that wouldnt mke things any better.

 

Have you researched fromia stars at all? Their diet is unknown so they need a MUCH larger tank than what you have to survive on... whatever it is they eat. Take that star out. Over a long while, the star will starve to death and die from the inside out. you wont know it's unhealthy until it actually starts to disintegrate on the outside... by which time it's already far too late.

[noobwithatank]

if there is not enough food in the tank, they will eat fish and inverts.

 

i watched my SS eat my 2 clown fish 1inch roughly each n then my firefish while he was sleeping. he was fat as i kept him fed. he also always ate my shimps molt. he was about 15inchs across the main body was about 2.5 inch wide.

[kookie_guy]

Have you researched fromia stars at all? Their diet is unknown so they need a MUCH larger tank than what you have to survive on... whatever it is they eat. Take that star out. Over a long while, the star will starve to death and die from the inside out. you wont know it's unhealthy until it actually starts to disintegrate on the outside... by which time it's already far too late.

 

I've done some research after somone mentioned this fact. From what I've been able to find, it said they feed on waste, but you can also supplement with plankton. I currently dose the tank with plankton on a daily basis, so hopefully it gets some of that.

[BytheSea]

I have a red brittle star that does not bother anything. From the info I've gathered it's mainly the green serpant stars that will catch & eat fish. The majority of brittle stars are safe to have with small fish. I like feeding my star to make sure it gets enough to eat. I use some plastic tongs to directly feed it.

[fishr]

ok, so I recently (about 1 week ago) put in a brittle star. You can see the pic to determine the species. It's a brown one with whitish bands. It's been 2 days since one of my gobies has gone missing. What are the odds of my brittle star having eaten my goby? I've checked everywhere for him. He's not in the back chambers, and he didn't go carpet surfing. So he's either dead under a rock somewhere (not sure why, he was happy and healthy last time I saw him) or the star got a hold of him. I doubt my RBTA got him, as he was about 1.5" in length. Any ideas? Should I start digging under my rocks to see if he's dead somewhere?

 

 

Personally keeping an orange brittle, going on six years, I would say it's likely it nabbed your goby, especially if it's the smaller variety. Slow and smaller fish are easy targets for brittles. My brittle will eat all crustacions - and gues what? It loves silversides, which are.... a species of fish.

 

So, I'd also be very careful with that cleaner shrimp in the same tank with the brittle. You might wind up losing that as well. My brittle eats all species of crustacions and silversides.

 

You've been warned. Wishing you luck! Because brittles are very sweet creatures. I adore mine, despite it's appatite.

[seed]

I've got a hi-fin and yashia goby as well as a cleaner shrimp with 2 8" brittle stars. all are quite happy and peaceful to each other from what i can tell. I'll watch em for hours day and night. I have never seen anything that would hint that the brittles will attack or kill the goby's or cleaner.

[fishr]

I guess my brittle is just pure evil. Wondor if the color has to do with it? lol! Perhaps orange sends off some crazy vibe: Go, and kill everything your legs can grab!

 

Seriously though, I cannot keep any shrimp in with my star. It'll eat the shrimp, and that goes for tube worms too. Might as well call it the "green brittle star of death" except it's orange not green.