Stars eating Stars...

sfite · 01-10-2007, 01:25 PM

Living in Beverly Hills, I'm used to seeing stars fight. But not in my aquarium.

Liveaquaria sells these stars in a pack, and I keep noticing my sand sifting stars had ends that keep dying. We today I see the Fancy Brittle Sea stars that live and play in the same tank as the sand sifting stars with a sand sifter leg up his middle section. He's eating the living legs.

I'm sure there's nothing I can do, but I thought I'd ask anyway. Anyone?

DevilBoy · 01-10-2007, 01:34 PM

i never heard or seen anything like that. And Liveaquaria has been around for many years, and i dont see them selling something in a package that wont get along.

I remember i placed an order thru them one time. I called in the order instead of doing it online. I had some nice size peppermint shrimps in the tank. I ordered 2 scarlet cleaners. The guy on the phone told me they only had them in small sizes of 1/2 - 3/4" . I told him that would be fine. He asked me what i had in my tank. i told him 2 peppermints that were rather large. The guy explained to me, that the peppermints may try killing the scarlets since they are so small, and that if it did happen it would void the 14 day guarentee on the scarlet cleaners only. So i got them anyways. Thinking they would just hide n molt anyways. I was wrong. I shoulda listened to the man. They both ended up a snack for my peppermints. these scarlets were really small. so i learned my lesson. if you are in doubt either email them and ask them, let them know what you have in your tank. or physically call the company talk to them and place your order over the phone.

sfite · 01-10-2007, 01:41 PM

True, they seem to be really knowledgeable over the phone.

Thinking more about it, is it possible they're just not getting enough to eat?

DevilBoy · 01-10-2007, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sfite

True, they seem to be really knowledgeable over the phone.

Thinking more about it, is it possible they're just not getting enough to eat?

Very possible... most critters are oppurtunistic feeders.

UseSkaForEvil · 01-10-2007, 02:20 PM

ive heard of brittle stars beign predatory, this page seems to think so as well http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm

DevilBoy · 01-10-2007, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UseSkaForEvil

ive heard of brittle stars beign predatory, this page seems to think so as well http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm

The only problem i have heard about the brittles being aggressive are the large green ones, they seem to more predatory then the others

jenajet · 01-10-2007, 02:41 PM

I have a large green brittle in my predator tank. So far he hasn't bothered any of the turbos or any of the small hermits. The little hermits were hitch hikers with the lr and I didn't expect them to last long but they are still in there. They seem to know that it's only safe to come out at night cause thats the only time I see them. The brittle gets fed a piece of shrimp when the predators get fed. It's funny cause he never comes out of the rock unless it's feeding time and then he sticks all his arms out of various holes to say feed me too! Have you tried direct feeding the stars?

sfite · 01-10-2007, 02:50 PM

According to the page you sent, jenajet, mine is an Alexander's Brittle. I"m going to try to get a pic of this because I just looked again and the 2 brittles are both attacking the same sand sifter. Now I'm not sure if the sand sifter isn't just trying to stab them...

sfite · 01-10-2007, 03:04 PM

This may be simply amazing to some. It's downright frustrating to me.

You can see one of the sifter's legs in the bottom, center. The Alexander brittles are both eating a leg of the sifter. The reddish-brown horns pointing to either top corner of the pic are the legs of the sifter INSIDE the center of the brittle stars. If that sifter had any sense, he'd try to poke his legs through...

sfite · 01-10-2007, 03:16 PM

Here's another view as the battle rages on...Again, sand sifter in the center, 2 brittles each on a sifter leg.

DevilBoy · 01-10-2007, 03:38 PM

they look to me like serpant stars which are different then brittles. I have had 2 of them same striped serpants in my 46g and they never bothered a thing.

Are you sure that this sand sifter just may not be sick and weak and the other stars are just doing there job and cleaning up something that may be weak?

jenajet · 01-10-2007, 03:39 PM

Could the sifter be dieing and the brittles just helping it along? Do you have a sump or refugi that you could put either the brittles or the sifter in? The only thing I can suggest is seperating them.

Geoff · 01-10-2007, 09:10 PM

how did you acclimate the sifting star? i am thinking the serpents are just finishing off a hurting sifting star.

if acclimated wrong stars can explode from the inside.

did you check the salinity of your tank with the bag water the star came in?

G~

sfite · 01-11-2007, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff

how did you acclimate the sifting star? i am thinking the serpents are just finishing off a hurting sifting star.

if acclimated wrong stars can explode from the inside.

did you check the salinity of your tank with the bag water the star came in?

G~

I used the drip method liveaquaria suggests. So odd. He seemed fine yesterday...

sfite · 01-11-2007, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff

did you check the salinity of your tank with the bag water the star came in?

G~

Eek! No, I didn't check the salinity. Here could be my problem...