Brittle star success rate

BContos · Jan 17, 2022

What’s the survival success rate on these little brittle star hitch hikers? I saw him for the first time two nights ago but haven’t seen him since. I also noticed an even smaller one on one of the empty hermit shell’s I picked up from my LFS the other day. I haven’t seen that one either.

Sharkbait19 · Jan 17, 2022

They hide in rocks, so you really won’t see them much. You might see them sticking their arms out of holes sometimes.
They are super hardy, predation is the only thing I’d be super worried about.

BContos · Jan 17, 2022

Sharkbait19 said:
They hide in rocks, so you really won’t see them much. You might see them sticking their arms out of holes sometimes.
They are super hardy, predation is the only thing I’d be super worried about.

I have seen some super big ones at my LFS but have also heard of micro ones? Idk how to tell which one itll be

Sharkbait19 · Jan 17, 2022

These are the micro ones. They look similar but a big hitchhiker will already be big.

PeterEde · Jan 17, 2022

I have probably a dozen in my tank of various sizes. One that is getting rather large. Now dia of golf ball.
It still hides in a rock. Only see it with a torch

KrisReef · Jan 17, 2022

"Survival rates" and "success rates" are difficult to measure among animals that can regenerate from torn limbs. If you have them generally thay can find a place to multiply inside of a tank and will be there when you tear the system down. You might not see them very often but they are happily doing their thing.

Jynxgirl · Jan 17, 2022

When you see these, it is a happy time. I used to have tons of these in previous tanks that seemed to come in on rock from Fiji. I never see them anymore sadly now that everything is dry rock. The florida rock I got didn't seem to have any of these crawl out of them.

PeterEde · Jan 17, 2022

Jynxgirl said:
When you see these, it is a happy time. I used to have tons of these in previous tanks that seemed to come in on rock from Fiji. I never see them anymore sadly now that everything is dry rock. The florida rock I got didn't seem to have any of these crawl out of them.

Lucky my live rock was full of life.
Bristlestars, crabs, urchin, starfish worms

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Jan 17, 2022

PeterEde said:
Lucky my live rock was full of life.
Bristlestars, crabs, urchin, starfish worms

Where did you purchase your live rock?

BContos · Jan 17, 2022

Erin1971Texas said:
Where did you purchase your live rock?

KP Aquatics! I was extremely happy with it!

PeterEde · Jan 17, 2022

Erin1971Texas said:
Where did you purchase your live rock?

Mine came from the great barrier reef according to my LFS.
I think most live rock in Australia comes from there.
$30 per kilo. Not sure how that equates in the US. The cost of shipping rock would be high I would think

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal · Jan 18, 2022

PeterEde said:
Mine came from the great barrier reef according to my LFS.
I think most live rock in Australia comes from there.
$30 per kilo. Not sure how that equates in the US. The cost of shipping rock would be high I would think

Ah, yes, I'd think so! Didn't realize you were on the other side of the globe

PeterEde · Jan 18, 2022

Erin1971Texas said:
Ah, yes, I'd think so! Didn't realize you were on the other side of the globe

Yep living la vida loca in the land down under. No idea what's going on here from one minute to the next

TnFishwater98 · Jan 18, 2022

Great CUC…Best in my opinion because they don’t have a negative that I can think of. I’ve got them in all my tanks and have a tank dedicated to breed them so I don’t mess up my water parameters…..