Serpent Star

[MzWeazelle]

I'm getting a bit confused about what to post in what forum, so if this is in the wrong spot, feel free to move it! (Thanks)

I recently aquired a serpent star when I bought out a full tank and I'm wondering if they have any "bad habits" I should know about before putting it in my reef tank. :?:

Thanks for any input or experiences anyone might like to share.

 

[cdeakle]

As with any creature in our hobby there are the good, the bad and the ugly. Some serpents can be very predatory and can eat your tank inhabitants one by one and some are peaceful. Have a pic? Description?

 

[MzWeazelle]

Hi there!

No picture - he's too shy to come out in the light very much. I'd say the "body" is about the size of a quarter and is dark grey in color. Fully extended the arms would probably measure about 6" from tip to tip and are grey with black stripes.

He was formerly living with a yellow tang, a bangai cardinal and various snails, crabs, corals, etc. He seems too slow to catch anything, but I'm sure he could sneak up on a sleeping fish, and seems to be more active at night.

 

[EvilMel]

My green serpent star is a xenia eater (not that I consider this a bad thing, because I don't!). My green brittle star was a fish eater (it perched in a cave and ate fish that would try to sleep in the cave). Of course the green brittle stars are notorious for this kind of thing. My black and white brittle star does the same thing though.

I have a friend who is a total reef guru; one of these people who have had reef tanks for like 30 years. He never puts any brittle or serpent stars in his reef tanks. He did have a linkia starfish though, which is now in my tank because he had to take his down due to a move.

I do have to say though that I have a tank that only has tiny gobies in it (there's like 20 small gobies, a mandarin fish, and a Naso tang), so I am more susceptible to this kind of stuff than others may be.

 

[NaH2O]

I agree about the green brittle (Ophiarachna incrassata) - when the lights go out - it is dinner time. Caught one with its arms wrapped around snails on the glass pulling them off, and some hobbyists have good luck with spot feeding. Here is a website that is full of information: Ophiuroids in the Home Aquarium

 

[CarlaW]

Evil, thanx for the heads up on the black and white. I've got 2 small ones in my 300, got 'em from reeftopia. I haven't seen my twinspot in a week and a half

 

[EvilMel]

Thanks Nikki for the link.

No problem Charlie, I mean I am sure there are examples of people keeping these with small fish successfully, but my thought is why risk it? I know I have seen these guys trying to eat my fish and if they can catch them they totally will. Though both the black and white brittle and the green serpent are still in my tank, but not the green brittle...out of there! and into one of my friend's greenhouse tanks. My next tank will have no brittle or serpent stars, except maybe the tiny sand stars that come with sand bed kits. But of course that's just my opinion, lots of people love these guys.