small brittle stars every where! help!

mastershake93 · 05/07/2010, 09:10 AM

i added some live rock a little wile ago, and out of no where a huge amount of small brittle stars are all over my tank, now, they are not the green death (thank god) but they are anoying because they eat all my fishes food, and i just dont trust them. is there a fish or shrimp or anything besides an octopus, that would eat them or something? i used to have a harlaquin shrimp (traded him to a friend), and they eat nothing but star fish, if i got another pair, would they eat them?

sslak · 05/07/2010, 09:22 AM

Brittle stars are good.

They eat the food your fish miss, as well as detritus...sea stars can't swim to catch the food, your fish can.

You don't have a problem IMO.

returnofsid · 05/07/2010, 09:26 AM

If they didn't eat your excess fish food, which I assume it's excess, if it's sitting somewhere that the brittle stars can get to (it's not floating in the water column), the excess food would create pollutant problems. Consider yourself lucky!! They're a great part of the clean up crew and yours are doing a good job.

Harlequin Shrimp will not eat brittle stars. They only eat "tube footed" starfish.

Once again, Micro Brittle stars are a very important part of a clean up crew and very beneficial. If you really don't want them, collect them and sell them to local reefers. You've got lots of local hobbyists in your area!! I personally know a bunch of them and they're great people!!

Since you're new to Reef Central, I'll welcome you!! Also, I'll supply you with a couple of links to forums that are much more local to you. I'll PM them to you!

jchase1970 · 05/07/2010, 01:14 PM

Good thing to have in your tank. They will multiply according to how much you over feed. If you overfeed alot you will have alot more, if you cut back on food you will see less.

mike_cmu04 · 05/07/2010, 02:43 PM

Ya concider it a good thing and dont worry about it.

Uncle Salty 05 · 05/07/2010, 03:14 PM

If you weren't so far away I'd ask you to send me some.

rbnice1 · 05/07/2010, 03:21 PM

If they are getting to a lot of your fish food your over feeding badly.

DJREEF · 05/07/2010, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by returnofsid

If they didn't eat your excess fish food, which I assume it's excess, if it's sitting somewhere that the brittle stars can get to (it's not floating in the water column), the excess food would create pollutant problems. Consider yourself lucky!! They're a great part of the clean up crew and yours are doing a good job.

Harlequin Shrimp will not eat brittle stars. They only eat "tube footed" starfish.

Once again, Micro Brittle stars are a very important part of a clean up crew and very beneficial. If you really don't want them, collect them and sell them to local reefers. You've got lots of local hobbyists in your area!! I personally know a bunch of them and they're great people!!

Since you're new to Reef Central, I'll welcome you!! Also, I'll supply you with a couple of links to forums that are much more local to you. I'll PM them to you!

Werd. Put a bunch in a plastic bag and mail them to me.

DJ

csmfish · 05/07/2010, 04:27 PM

Yea, I could use a few also.

mastershake93 · 05/07/2010, 04:41 PM

yeah, i kinda over reacted because my black clown fish dissapeared 2 days ago, he didnt jump, and there is no dead fish in my tank, so i just dont know. they arnt eatting alot, just what the fish dont get, wich i figured was a good thig, just with my clown dissapeiring, i am just a little causious. most of the stars are about the size of a quarter so i thought they might to be of blame haha thanks tho, haha

05/07/2010, 09:10 AM	#1
mastershake93 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: olympia wa Posts: 42	small brittle stars every where! help! i added some live rock a little wile ago, and out of no where a huge amount of small brittle stars are all over my tank, now, they are not the green death (thank god) but they are anoying because they eat all my fishes food, and i just dont trust them. is there a fish or shrimp or anything besides an octopus, that would eat them or something? i used to have a harlaquin shrimp (traded him to a friend), and they eat nothing but star fish, if i got another pair, would they eat them?

05/07/2010, 09:22 AM	#2
sslak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,705	Brittle stars are good. They eat the food your fish miss, as well as detritus...sea stars can't swim to catch the food, your fish can. You don't have a problem IMO. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 58 Oceanic/20g Sump/250w XM 20k/2x39w T5 True Actinic 03/2010 Reef Octopus NW Cone Skimmer

05/07/2010, 01:14 PM	#4
jchase1970 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Newburgh, Indiana Posts: 409	Good thing to have in your tank. They will multiply according to how much you over feed. If you overfeed alot you will have alot more, if you cut back on food you will see less. __________________ Tri-State Reef Club Serving the Indiana,Kentucky,Illinois Tri state area.

05/07/2010, 03:14 PM	#6
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	If you weren't so far away I'd ask you to send me some. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

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05/07/2010, 09:26 AM	#3
returnofsid Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 3,852	If they didn't eat your excess fish food, which I assume it's excess, if it's sitting somewhere that the brittle stars can get to (it's not floating in the water column), the excess food would create pollutant problems. Consider yourself lucky!! They're a great part of the clean up crew and yours are doing a good job. Harlequin Shrimp will not eat brittle stars. They only eat "tube footed" starfish. Once again, Micro Brittle stars are a very important part of a clean up crew and very beneficial. If you really don't want them, collect them and sell them to local reefers. You've got lots of local hobbyists in your area!! I personally know a bunch of them and they're great people!! Since you're new to Reef Central, I'll welcome you!! Also, I'll supply you with a couple of links to forums that are much more local to you. I'll PM them to you!

05/07/2010, 02:43 PM	#5
mike_cmu04 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Shepherd, Mi Posts: 2,348	Ya concider it a good thing and dont worry about it.

05/07/2010, 03:21 PM	#7
rbnice1 Moved On Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cedar Hill Posts: 3,905	If they are getting to a lot of your fish food your over feeding badly.

05/07/2010, 04:27 PM	#9
csmfish Moved On Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: VA Posts: 1,055	Yea, I could use a few also.

05/07/2010, 04:41 PM	#10
mastershake93 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: olympia wa Posts: 42	yeah, i kinda over reacted because my black clown fish dissapeared 2 days ago, he didnt jump, and there is no dead fish in my tank, so i just dont know. they arnt eatting alot, just what the fish dont get, wich i figured was a good thig, just with my clown dissapeiring, i am just a little causious. most of the stars are about the size of a quarter so i thought they might to be of blame haha thanks tho, haha