brittle or serpent star?

[Mavrk]

I was thinking about getting a sea star. Would you recommend a brittle or a serpent star?

Are they reef safe? Also, will they dessimate my microfauna?

[papagimp]

Get a serpant. Brittles can be okay, but their is a green variety (one of the many green varieties) that's not so reef safe.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

The green ones are not really "safe" period - they'll catch inverts and fish. Big fish, it's pretty surprising.

But yes, the brittles are more or less totally safe. Neither will decimate your microfauna, they're pretty slow moving and generally feed on leftover food and dead things. I really doubt they could catch a 'pod, for instance.

[Mavrk]

Is there a major difference between the two besides looks(assuming a brown brittle star of course)? Size? Hardiness? Any other thing I should be aware of?

Thanks for your help

[jjmcat]

[QUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11007286#post11007286 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by der_wille_zur_macht
[B]The green ones are not really "safe" period - they'll catch inverts and fish. Big fish, it's pretty surprising.


You know this from personal experience?

[RickySan]

i have a black brittle...it just stays under a rock and sticks its arms out at feeding time....i almost never see it. I feed it sliverside once a week and it has never bothered my fish.

[Gettin'Tanked]

I have a serpent star. He has never bothered anything and is very cool imo.

[jgoodrich71]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11007472#post11007472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjmcat
You know this from personal experience?


I can say yes, I know this from personal experience. The green brittles get large, and can catch and eat fish.

[jjmcat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11008617#post11008617 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jgoodrich71
I can say yes, I know this from personal experience. The green brittles get large, and can catch and eat fish.

So it caught your fish and ate it?

[jjmcat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11008534#post11008534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RickySan
i have a black brittle...it just stays under a rock and sticks its arms out at feeding time....i almost never see it. I feed it sliverside once a week and it has never bothered my fish.

IMO if there not hungry they will leave your fish alone.Mine eats all of the leftover food that I feed my corals and my fish.

[Mavrk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11007286#post11007286 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by der_wille_zur_macht
The green ones are not really "safe" period - they'll catch inverts and fish. Big fish, it's pretty surprising.

A couple quick questions:

You are just talking about green brittle Star of the genus Ophiarachna, right? Not green serpent stars or the one sold by etropicals (http://www.etropicals.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=45&pCatId=1350)? They describe it as having "a very small olive green central disc which may have variable patterns. The long spiny, yellow arms are fringed with white or black spines." But it is a different genus, and the spines are not green.

Thanks for the help. I am leaning towards serpent stars because of their looks, but I am wondering about the size issue. I understand the brittle star can grow to about 10" and the serpent to 1' 2". Is this right? This is for my 90g.

[jjmcat]

http://www.omas.org/VP_omas.htm

Is this the kind of star you are looking for?They do get very large. IMO They get larger then what your link described.

[bertoni]

Serpent stars and brittle stars are the same group of animals. The terms are synonymous. One species of green brittle star is known to be quite predatory. Most of the others are reasonably safe.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11007472#post11007472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjmcat
[QUOTE]

You know this from personal experience?

Yes. I had one that ate several fish, though it was probably 8 or 9 years ago - I didn't know any better. I even witnessed it attempting to catch large, healthy fish, so I know for a fact that it wasn't just preying on dead critters. They basically stand up on the ends of their legs, forming a net of sorts. When a fish swims under their body, they collapse on it rapidly.

If you search on here, it's practically common knowledge that they're highly predatory. Though of course one of the problems with relying on this sort of repetitive anecdotal information is that it's hard to determine the validity or accuracy.


You are just talking about green brittle Star of the genus Ophiarachna, right?

Yes, it is likely that the genus you're referring to is what the predatory stars belong to.

[jjmcat]

I must have a kind and gental version of the green death.Ive thought about getting rid of him because he has knocked over a few corals but he does help out as a member of my clean up crew.BTW I do feed lots of meaty foods to my tank.

[wrasseguy2]

the green brittle stars are green deaths they will take down fish I have seen it I got rid of mine for that reason..and I did feed mine a lot so it was not because he did not get any food..I have a few different serpents now this is my red serpent and I had him for 2 years now
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee90/detguy212/redstar.jpg

[Mavrk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11009065#post11009065 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
Serpent stars and brittle stars are the same group of animals. The terms are synonymous.

That is what I thought, but they seem to be sold as two different groups. I guess the different genus just have the different common names. Hence my confusion. This is what I am talking about:

Serpent Sea Star (http://www.etropicals.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=45&pCatId=1374)

Brittle Sea Star (http://www.etropicals.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=45&pCatId=1350)

[bertoni]

Mislabeling is very common in vendor listings. I just ignore them.

[dragonette]

Serpant star!

theres even a bright red variety thats awesome.

Heres mine

It was night time, so the coral is shrunk.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u311/jm_willer/My%20reef%20aquarium/DSC00874.jpg

[rbursek]

I had 2 striped serpent stars, saw one trying to eat my brittle star, and they would eat my Cardinals, I had 3 different pairs of Cardinals, all got eaten by them, when I moved I got rid of them and now I can keep Cardinals with out a problem.
Bob