Green serpent starfish

[CoralClasher]

Is there much benefit to having a big serpent starfish?

I bought one a few years ago and has grown pretty big. I was feeding my Scolly last night and the darn starfish robbed all the food!! I do have a big refugium would he be ok in there just as a filter feeder or should I bring it back to LFS?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

One big green brittle star, Ophiarachna incrassata, has been known to rise up and then drop down on fish and shrimp at night to eat them. They also aren't really good for CUC, so I avoid them. Not sure what species you have though....

Jay

 

[xxkenny90xx]

One big green brittle star, Ophiarachna incrassata, has been known to rise up and then drop down on fish and shrimp at night to eat them. They also aren't really good for CUC, so I avoid them. Not sure what species you have though....

Jay

I actually disagree with them not being good clean up crew. If you have a fish die in a big tank it's usually very hard to find and remove them. A big brittle star will make short work of them.

I have 2 brittles and 2 serpents but the green brittle has to live in the sump (I do feed it meaty seafood a couple of times a week)

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I actually disagree with them not being good clean up crew. If you have a fish die in a big tank it's usually very hard to find and remove them. A big brittle star will make short work of them.

I have 2 brittles and 2 serpents but the green brittle has to live in the sump (I do feed it meaty seafood a couple of times a week)

I agree - they can be CUC for BIG things (grin), but not so much for sand-sifting, and handling microbiome stuff...

Jay

 

[Timfish]

I love them! They are fascinating animals to watch and I have them in several of my tanks. The one in my skimmerless tank thread has been in there since the winter of '97-'98. They definitely need feeding when they get big to keep them from starving. Mine get pellets daily.

 

[CoralClasher]

One big green brittle star, Ophiarachna incrassata, has been known to rise up and then drop down on fish and shrimp at night to eat them. They also aren't really good for CUC, so I avoid them. Not sure what species you have though....

Jay

One big green brittle star, Ophiarachna incrassata, has been known to rise up and then drop down on fish and shrimp at night to eat them. They also aren't really good for CUC, so I avoid them. Not sure what species you have though....

Jay

Thanks for the reply. I decided to sell it back to LFS. I never had it attack fish or shrimp and when I had just a few fish in a bigger tank it did help to find extra food. Now I have 15 fish and they don’t miss any food. I was thinking of putting him in the sump but I have heaters that have burnt him before.