Brittle Stars and Sand Sifting Stars-Good or Bad?
- Thread starter new reefer in michigan
- Start date
SPC-Thanks. I just thought it would be prudent to get the opinions of others before I remove critter (brittle stars) that have been im my tank for a year and half. Since what you told me was contrary to what I thought. I decided to start this post. I'm being a little lazy here, instead of researching...I'll just do a poll. I should do both!
Louey
Louey
Are these good for a reef tank, or bad. I know most of you have already posted many times that the sand sifting stars decimate the pod population, and that is bad. But what about the regular brittle stars?
The books I have read such as The Reef Aquarium Volume 1, by Delbeck and Sprung, recommend brittle stars. Most Reef Cleaner Packages "clean-up crews" sold on-line almost always include brittle stars.
So who using them and who's not? That is my question.
FWIW-I have 3 brittle stars and 1 white sand sifting stars in my 75.
Thanks!
Louey
[ April 13, 2002: Message edited by: Louey ]</p>
The books I have read such as The Reef Aquarium Volume 1, by Delbeck and Sprung, recommend brittle stars. Most Reef Cleaner Packages "clean-up crews" sold on-line almost always include brittle stars.
So who using them and who's not? That is my question.
FWIW-I have 3 brittle stars and 1 white sand sifting stars in my 75.
Thanks!
Louey
[ April 13, 2002: Message edited by: Louey ]</p>
Ahhh! I thought I was a dunce for a minute there!
Ok, the brittle stars stay and the sand sifter goes. That is if I can find him. He must know that he is a marked man, because now that I want to get himn out, he is know where to be found!
Thanks fredfish and SPC.
I really liked Dr. Shimek's article on DSB's.
Louey
Ok, the brittle stars stay and the sand sifter goes. That is if I can find him. He must know that he is a marked man, because now that I want to get himn out, he is know where to be found!
Thanks fredfish and SPC.
I really liked Dr. Shimek's article on DSB's.
Louey
The sand sifting stars will eat all of the life out of your sandbed and then slowly starve...In my opinion they don't belong in a reef tank. Brittle stars are fascinating, but they will kill any bottom dwelling fish you may have, even if you keep them well fed.
Sally,
I have had three brittle stars in my 75 for 1-1/2 years with no problems. I don't have any bottom dwelling fish though. Unless a manderin is considered one.
Wait, I have a pink spotted shrimp goby that is a bottom dwelling fish. He's pretty big though. I don't think a brittle star could take him IMHO. I'm thinking about getting rid of him to. I think he may be aiding the sand sifting star in "doing in" my pod population.
Louey
I have had three brittle stars in my 75 for 1-1/2 years with no problems. I don't have any bottom dwelling fish though. Unless a manderin is considered one.
Wait, I have a pink spotted shrimp goby that is a bottom dwelling fish. He's pretty big though. I don't think a brittle star could take him IMHO. I'm thinking about getting rid of him to. I think he may be aiding the sand sifting star in "doing in" my pod population.
Louey
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote
Sorry, but this simply isn't true. I must respond to this because such statements can lead some people to flush animals for no good reason!
The majority of people who keep brittlestars do not have trouble with them. Some reefkeepers have had trouble, and nearly all problems seem to stem from keeping the green brittle Ophiarachna incrassata. This behavior has been documented in wild individuals of this species, but is not considered a common behavior at all for brittlestars.
Additional confusion stems from the fact that these animals are sold as scavengers. Scavenge they will, but it is not always enough to keep a large brittle satisfied. The disk of the animal is almost entirely filled by their stomach...so one can see that some flakes or morsels will not satisfy them for long! Actually, I would argue that many cases of lost fish stem from people seeing the brittle eating the fish, and assuming it was captured....when it is always a possibility that the brittle was cleaning up a dead fish.
Since animals do not kill for pleasure, it is logical to say that a brittle that captures fish/shrimp/snails and eats them is hungry and therefor not well fed. If one notices this behavior and does not want to increase the feeding and risk water quality, then return it to the LFS.
Most other species do not appear to cause trouble, though I am sure there are some individual brittles that have. Still, it is by no means an accurate account of the behavior of these animals in our systems. Keep in mind also that many microbrittles are highly desirable members of a DSB community.
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Brittlestars!!
http://home.att.net/~ophiuroid
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Sorry, but this simply isn't true. I must respond to this because such statements can lead some people to flush animals for no good reason!
The majority of people who keep brittlestars do not have trouble with them. Some reefkeepers have had trouble, and nearly all problems seem to stem from keeping the green brittle Ophiarachna incrassata. This behavior has been documented in wild individuals of this species, but is not considered a common behavior at all for brittlestars.
Additional confusion stems from the fact that these animals are sold as scavengers. Scavenge they will, but it is not always enough to keep a large brittle satisfied. The disk of the animal is almost entirely filled by their stomach...so one can see that some flakes or morsels will not satisfy them for long! Actually, I would argue that many cases of lost fish stem from people seeing the brittle eating the fish, and assuming it was captured....when it is always a possibility that the brittle was cleaning up a dead fish.
Since animals do not kill for pleasure, it is logical to say that a brittle that captures fish/shrimp/snails and eats them is hungry and therefor not well fed. If one notices this behavior and does not want to increase the feeding and risk water quality, then return it to the LFS.
Most other species do not appear to cause trouble, though I am sure there are some individual brittles that have. Still, it is by no means an accurate account of the behavior of these animals in our systems. Keep in mind also that many microbrittles are highly desirable members of a DSB community.
------------------
Brittlestars!!
http://home.att.net/~ophiuroid
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