new additions

m_lacom99 · 11-19-2004, 04:30 AM

hey all. went to my LFS last night and as usual came back with 100$ of stuff... bought a cleaner shrimp and i also bought a black brittle star, i asked the owner a couple of questions but i always like to get a second opinion. specially from you guys... you people seem to know everything. so here it goes.

1. the black brittle star is less aggressive than the green one right??? just dont want it to make a snack out of my small fishes.

2. do i have to feed it once in a while, toss in a raw shrimp or something.

3. not sure but i think that the star let the cleaner shrimp clean him??? could that be.

Thanks Marc.

P.S ill try to get some pics up if ever i see it come out.

amcarrig · 11-19-2004, 04:54 AM

1. Right

2. You don't have to target feed as it will eat whatever falls to the bottom of your tank. If you want it to grow quickly, you can target feed it meaty foods.
3. As far as I know, stars don't carry skin parasites so the shrimp was probably just checking to see if there was any food laying on it. The shrimp will probably also do this to any coral that you put in the tank as well as your hands if you keep them still enough.

m_lacom99 · 11-19-2004, 05:03 AM

thanks amcarrig (i think Matt made a good choice in choosing you by the way

)

i knew about the cleaner shrimp, its not my first one and i had one clean my hand. What im worrying about is that i only have 2 small fish at this time (yellow tailed damsel, ocellaris clown) so i dont feed allot of food thats why i was thinking of adding something for the star once in a while, plus im pretty sure my hermits wouldn't mind a raw shrimp or something like that once in a while.

Thanks Marc.

amcarrig · 11-19-2004, 06:41 AM

Hey, thanks for that!

If you're going to target feed your star, try to do it when you feed everything else in the tank. I've seen shrimp, crabs and fish take food right out of my serpent star's mouth so if they're distracted, they might not try to steal the star's food

m_lacom99 · 11-19-2004, 08:01 AM

thanks amcarring. but all the other critters in the tank seem to be avoiding my brittle star... it even stole my damsels little house he had made for himself digging under a rock. the only one that went to see him was the shrimp like i said.

Marc.

amcarrig · 11-19-2004, 08:19 AM

[quote author=m_lacom99 link=board=Inverts;num=1100878235;start=0#4 date=11/19/04 at 11:01:29]thanks amcarring. *but all the other critters in the tank seem to be avoiding my brittle star... *it even stole my damsels little house he had made for himself digging under a rock. *the only one that went to see him was the shrimp like i said.

Marc.[/quote]

Don't you worry. Once your critters realize that the star is being fed, they won't avoid it anymore. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean....talk about a feeding frenzy!

Birdlady · 11-19-2004, 10:44 AM

Yup! I feed my black brittle star and my dottyback dives under his rock and takes food right out of its arms!!!!!

I feed it only because I am paranoid and I don't want it to get hungry!!!!

m_lacom99 · 11-19-2004, 10:50 AM

(and heres Matts other good choice, congrats to you to birdlady)

ok then so once in a while i will try to get some food to it just to be sure.

anything in perticular???

Marc.

Birdlady · 11-19-2004, 02:25 PM

Awww, thanks....

Now, don't laugh at me , OK. I have a homemade rigged up thing I use to feed.

Straight rigid airline tubing that reaches the depth of the tank, attached to soft airline tubing, about 10 inches worth, attached to a syringe on the end.

I feed the star with that and give it whatever I give my fish. Mysis, Formula One, Formula Two, raw shrimp chopped up....whatever. It gets sucked up the tube, the fish get fed and lastly the star , like amcarrig said, to distract the other fish from stealing its food. It will reach it's arm out to grab it up.