[SouthBayPhoto]

Well....nothing like being horribly sick the past 2 days with the flu and I managed to get this little guy to cheer me up.

Black brittle star. Just brought him home about 1 hour ago...he's currently going through the acclimation process.

Now, it's also to my understanding that you cannot take stars out of the water to put them into your tank, correct? I have to do it all under water when transferring him/her.





I'll update the photos once he makes it into the tank later tonight.

[SouthBayPhoto]

Well, this is the only time I've got to see him in the tank. It was right after putting him in after acclimation.

After this was shot, he's crawled into the LR and I haven't really seen him since. I can see him in the crevice of the LR, but that's it. I really haven't see him move much.

Was hopin' to see some arms wigglin' or something when I feed the fish, but nothin'. I even specially bought raw shrimp for him and have cut up small parts and put it near him....nothin'.

Although I think he MAY have ate some tonight when I put it into the LR. I'm hopin' so. Don't really want to lose him.

[charlie]

He will spend a load of time in the rocks Mat. The only reason I see mine in my 80 is because he is about 16" wide when he stretches out. I feed mine Krill, about one time a week. Cool find.

[Samper]

Charlie...does yours come to your hand even when you aren't feeding the tank? If I have to move something or whatever in the display my serpent always comes to say hi to my fingers.

[charlie]

Originally Posted by Samper

Charlie...does yours come to your hand even when you aren't feeding the tank? If I have to move something or whatever in the display my serpent always comes to say hi to my fingers.

Uh yeah, I almost lost a few brain cells the first time he did it. How often do you feed yours? I never used to feed mine, but after I noticed him under one rock in the middle, and one rock on the end of the tank, I figured I had better do something or he would start going after my little clowns!!!!

[SouthBayPhoto]

See...that's what I want him to do. I want to at least feed him some shrimp on a stick and have him grab it or something. LOL That's one of the cool things about them and the reason I got him.

I admit I'd probably freak if he grabbed my fingers or something....so I don't know if I could hand feed him, per se, but it would still be cool to see him grab something from me to eat.

But I didn't think it would be only once a week, so it's possible he's just not hungry yet.

When do you all feed them? When only the actinics are on? or will he grab something from you with your "daylights" on?

[charlie]

He will try to catch something everytime you feed your fish. Just be patient with him, he has had a tough day.
It is a hoot to watch them when you feed, once he gets acclimated, he'll be just fine.

[SouthBayPhoto]

That's what I figured. I'm not going too nuts with him and just leaving him alone. I just hope he's okay is all. He only got put into my system on Friday night, so I know it's going to take a bit more time...even more so than most fish normally take.

I guess I'm just hoping I did everything right (to the best I could) to make sure he would acclimate okay.

[charlie]

Sounds like you did just fine!!!

[Ramer]

It took my serpant star about 3 days to really show himself. Now if food goes in tank he is out looking for it. Since I am only putting food in the trap , it is all over looking for it

[charlie]

You haven't shot that gramma yet?????

Good info on your experience tho, that helps!!!

[Ramer]

I am afraid the 22lr would be too much for the glass of my 90. I am sure none of the other residents would like it either

[SouthBayPhoto]

LOL....well get to it man! You gotta catch that darn thing somehow!

Well, so far he hasn't come out. Maybe he doesn't like me. Either that or there's a bunch of stuff in the crevice of the LR that he's been munchin' on because he has yet to stick even one tentacle out when I'm feeding the other fish with both flake food and frozen brine shrimp.

How long should I give it before I really "check on him"?

[charlie]

Mat, sometimes I don't see some of my critters for about a month, then all of a sudden, there they are!!! You can't really do too much for him now, he is pretty much on his own, and I bet he is just fine!!!

[SouthBayPhoto]

Thanks Charlie!

I think he was flipping me off last night because he only stuck one tentacle out from under the LR and put it against the back glass. (oh ya, instead of being "in" the LR where he was at before, he's actually dug himself UNDER the LR now and moved some of the crushed coral/gravel out of the way. LOL)

So, maybe that's a "Hey, leave me alone you pain in my a$$" statement to me. LOL

Just finished my water change and noticed he crawled back up into the LR. I figured I'd try again and put a small piece of raw shrimp (got it from the grocery store and the bag is in the freezer...couldn't just get a couple of darn pieces!) and he doesn't even touch it. Actually the damn red-legged crab goes after it with gusto and hordes it. I almost have to beat him off with a darn stick so I can try and put the shrimp back close to the star.

Oh ya...you're supposed to feed "raw" shrimp, not cooked, right? Only bag I could find of "raw" frozen shrimp (compared to cooked and then frozen) is a 1 lb bag. LOL So looks like he'll have food for a year.

[zhenya]

Mat,

You can also get small flat of frozen silversides at the LFS for few bux and that should keep it well supplied with food.
I have four of this critters in my anemone tank, I would say roughly 8years since I got them and one is almost 10yrs. I feed them about twice a week and everyday I sqirt some fish food in their direction and they come out "running"
But, silversides worked really well for me with this critters. I cut them in half, aproximately, and each get a portion for their own feast. At times I see some battles but not too often.
I attached couple of images of mine, one is showing one of my Ophiuroids going after the silverside.

[SouthBayPhoto]

Those are awesome Gene!

well the scary part is mine hasn't come out in a week now. I got him last Friday night. I don't know why, but it seems way longer than that. LOL

So, I guess I shouldn't worry since it's only a week.

I haven't seen him go after the shrimp yet, but I've only tried it twice. I tried to stick it "in" the LR hoping that when he's hungry he'll eat it. Then again, maybe he doesn't like Vegas shrimp. LOL!!!

I know it's going to take time and now and again I see him have a tentacle out, but I have yet to see him go after any food or waive his tentacles around when I feed the fish.

I just don't want him to die in the LR and me not know it and my water params go through the roof (in a bad way). Plus, I'll be sad because I don't like to lose any wildlife out of my tank.

However, as a side note, I did notice this morning that my red-legged hermit (nicknamed Redbeard the Pirate) took out two of my Astraea snails last night. Little ba*tard must have liked the shrimp pieces so much that he went after the snails.

Needless to say...Redbeard is no longer. I was not happy this morning and out he went. I don't know if that's good or not, but that's what happened. Only one left is the blue-legged one and I have yet to see him go after anyone (or the shrimp pieces in the tank). But I'll be watching him closely with my evil eye.

[SouthBayPhoto]

Well...just as a slight update. I actually saw the little guy (actually, he's 7" tip to tip, just measued him last night) come out from under the rock and roam around the one side of the 46g tank last night. I was THRILLED to finally see him out and about. It was when just my "night light" was on in the tank (moonlight thingy); all other lights off. But I could watch him move around and it was totally cool. I tried putting a piece of shrimp down there (on a stick) to see if he'd finally grab and eat it (it's been 2 weeks since I got him and haven't seen him eat once), but he didn't.

I just don't know what to do to get him to eat. I'm happy that I got to see him roam around, so that's a step in the right direction. Will he eat stuff in/under the live rock? Maybe he's been feeding this entire time, but I just don't see it because he's eating within/under the LR.

Should I just keep being patient and keep trying to feed him every now and again at night when he comes out?

[zhenya]

Mat, the starfish could be simply afraid of that stick that you are using. Have you tried leaving the piece of shtimp there for a while to see if it will come out and eat? They are nocturnal critters and do their scavenging mostly at night. After a while they become bolder and come out during the day as well in the tanks. I know mine do all the time, however, a black one like yours I never see at all, I only see it's rays stretch out from under the rock to grab food. I haven't once saw it;s body in the 10 years I have it. I just know that it;s huge because of the length of the rays/legs.

And yes, try to be patient and give it some more time to become bolder, and yes keep offering food if you are worried that it is starving. If any of the food that you feed your fish with falls on the sand I am sure your starfish will be picking it up.

[SouthBayPhoto]

I have left it in there before, but it seems to go untouched (unless one of the crabs gets to it first. LOL).

I figured maybe he wasn't thrilled with the stick either, so that's why I would try and place it under/near the LR that he hides in to make it easier for him. I think he may have had a little bite of it the other night after I left it in there, but not sure since I found some stuck to the filter the next morning.

I'm sure there is brine shrimp and flake food that makes its way to the bottom of the tank during the feeding. Some of it even blows into the LR. However, I haven't seen him waiving his tentacles around as of yet when I feed the fish. I was just happy to see him come out and move around a bit the other night.

It was like when Frankenstein came alive with the lightning...."It's ALIVE....IT'S ALIVVVVVEEEE!!!!"

I just want to make sure he's not starving is all. I'll put in another piece in a day or two and see if he grabs it at some point.

Thanks for the info!