Harlequin serpent star and red brittle star

[shinosuke]

Hello,
I have recently received a harlequin serpent starfish and and red brittle starfish. The pictures are from the website, not the ones that I personally have.
http://sealifeinc.net/catalog/images/Harlequin%20Serpent1_500_500.jpg
The black and white serpent harlequin is VERY active for a star, pushing and pulling himself all over the tank, especially when the lights are out.
http://sealifeinc.net/catalog/images/Red%20Brittle%20star1_500_500.jpg
The spiny red brittle is much more shy, very rarely coming out of his chosen crevice in the rocks.
Will either of these stars pose a threat to fish or other inverst? Can anyone give me any extra advice on these guys?
Thanks,
~Adam D.

[Moonstream]

The serpents are supposed to be good. My LFS has a large one in their reef tank, along w/ many small fish. The red brittle I am not sure about.

[650-IS350]

Harlequins are pretty much reefsafe, don't know about the diet specifics of the red one.

[shinosuke]

Thanks , desol and moonstream.
The serpent was the one I was more worried about, he's much more active, like a "hunter" or something like that. The red brittle is real slow moving, doesn't leave his crevasse much.
Thanks again,

[Pamelahaley]

I have had a harlequin star for a few years now and it's gotten quite big (The head is 1.5 inches)... I know them to be detritus and scavenger eaters but, I've caught him munching on 5 fish in the last 6 months... It may be about time to trade him out... it's a 24 gallon nano.

I just assumed they died of other causes His latest meal is 2 ocelaris clowns I added just yesterday. I added 3 ocelaris. 2 orange and 1 black. The black one is alive and well today... I assume I may not have acclimated the orange ones long enough as there was a higher volume of water in their bag. They were definitely alive and well as a group as soon as they went into the tank and until dark...

I had just traded in my aggressive RG who definitely was responsible for at least 3 of the fish deaths... I think...

So... I'm currently at one black ocelaris and one pajama cardinal. I'll be getting replacement orange ocelaris later this week. I just hope I don't kill them too :headwally:

[rssjsb]

They should be fine. I had both (ordered from the same website) in my 90 and they never bothered anything. You might want to spot feed your harlequin a little when you see him out like that. Try a little chunk of shrimp or squid or something.

Pamelahaley, I think your starfish was just doing cleanup.

[ReeferBill]

Brittle Stars stay reef safe but serpents grow to a size where they turn into nonreef safe fish eaters!!!!

[rssjsb]

Brittle Stars stay reef safe but serpents grow to a size where they turn into nonreef safe fish eaters!!!!That kind of sweeping generality isn't really helpful to the OP. Do you have experience or documentation to give more specific information? There are a number of brittle sea stars that get really big and can take down fish (the green brittle is just the most notorious example). There are a number of serpents that are perfectly fine.

I suppose anything's possible, but I've never seen the stars the OP describes as anything other than scavengers. I've got a huge brittle star in my 40 gallon that I've had for 7-8 years now. I've also had the red brittle and harlequin for many years with no evidence of bad behavior. In fact, I'm just about to place an order for more of them to put in my new tank.

[Pamelahaley]

Yeah, I guess it is just clean up. I don't know about target feeding since it gets pretty much everything the fish don't. I have a fairly hardy clean-up crew... They do away with any dead fish within a day or two. (considering they are nano)

... I'd pick out the bodies and flush them but, why waste good feed. Enjoy a $28 feast. The Emerald crab seems to have found it's way over as well.