What the heck...

[conk12301]

Two things have really blown my mind in my marine tank the last couple days...

1) I got a serpent sea star (kinda creepy looking haha) a few days ago. I was told that I would almost never see him since he'll be in the rocks and that and that he'd work well with the CUC, so I got him. The problem is that ever since he got into the tank, he crawled up to the top of the tank right behind my filter and has not really moved much since then. I spent two hours drip acclimating him, too. He has not touched the rocks or sand yet. Should I try to place him on the rock?

2) I was shocked when I came home to see what I thought was my shrimp was partially sucked into my water pump - tentacles and all. I was even more surprised when I saw that my cleaner shrimp was still dancing around in the middle of the tank. It took a moment to realize he had shed - haha - and the shedding was sucked into the water pump. Should I leave the shedding in the tank or clean it out? I read somewhere that it's healthier to leave it in the tank.

[zachfishman]

1. This could be because you don't have enough rockwork and crevices for the serpent star to feel comfortable. In the wild they are never found out in the open (puffer/triggerfish food) and are always hiding beneath rocks and in rubble, etc. It may be that behind the filter is where it feels safest, a place it can wedge itself.

2. It really doesn't matter. I usually leave mine in b.c. I'm lazy.

[mauger1]

A lot of smaller creatures will eat the exoskeleton. Some larger lps/anemones will even eat it if you drop it in em.

[Jlobo]

My hermit crabs eat my peppermint shrimp skeletons and my bristle worms eat the hermit skeletons. Aaah, the cycle of life.... :)

[PMUnprotected]

A lot of smaller creatures will eat the exoskeleton. Some larger lps/anemones will even eat it if you drop it in em.

Yup! My nessarius snails love the exoskeleton!

[potterjon]

From what I understand serpent starfish are nocturnal and scavenge at night. The green ones are sort of notorious for being fish eaters for some reason and the black ones are supposedly not.

[ryeguyy84]

every time my guy sheds I think he's dead, the hermits will eat it. amazing how the skeleton looks exactly like the moving one, down to the long white tentacles.