[pgcosmo]

I've had a cleaner shrimp in my tank and added a red serpent seastar and an arrow crab to my tank the other day. The next day the cleaner shrimp was dead. At first I thought it was the serpent because the shrimp was tangled with the serpent and the arrow crab was also eating the shrimp. I was told by my lfs that the serpents are peaceful and that the arrow crab was the culprit so I returned the arrow and got another cleaner shrimp. Well, I put the cleaner shrimp in my tank and he is gone. I think that the serpent was the original culprit. Is this possible? Has anyone had any experience with this? There is nothing else in the tank that would have done this as the original cleaner shrimp was in my tank for a month or so and was completely healthy. Thanks and I appreciate the feedback.

 

[ornatebutterflycod]

How large is your serpent sea star (body oral disc part not arm diameter? What other livestock do you have fish etc

 

[pgcosmo]

He's big. The center is bigger than a quarter. Prob about the size of a half dollar

 

[ornatebutterflycod]

Then yes its possble but the star would have to catch the shrimp ans shrimp are typically much faster so if he was able go catch the shrimp it leads me to believe the shrimp was slowed down by disease or poor water condition.

 

[pgcosmo]

Water is perfect and it happened twice. Once with a big cleaner shrimp that was healthy and second with a brand new cleaner that was a very small baby. I do have a blood shrimp and 3 peppermint shrimp and they are fine.

 

[Esage]

It could be the blood shrimp.

 

[Geoff]

can you post a pic of the starfish? some starfish go into an ambush mode, and in this mode they are able to catch fish and shrimp with some regularity.

when in ambush mode the starfish stands on "tippy toes" and when a prey item swims under it. the starfish will drop and grab the prey with its arms in a single motion. this is pretty common with green bristle stars, but any hungry largish central disced starfish can do this.

G~

 

[medasst1]

I recently purchased a new rock for my tank and ended up getting 6 seastar serpants and a snail. Do i want to keep the seastar serpants? Are they good for the tank?

 

[shred5]

Well serpent stars can kill shrimps and some larger brittle stars.. But that arrow crab is most likely the culprit. They will and can eat most anything even small fish if they can catch them.