Green Brittle Stars killers?

[AdamC]

Are these guys killers? Mine always seems hungry I have never directly fed him and maybe that's why?

But I seem to loose my shrimp and a crab here and there. I was thinking maybe thats why I have lost about 20 peppermint shrimp over the past 5 months :)

Also do they attack corals? I am just trying to find out clues as to why I am loosing certain things in my tank with parameters that are fine and everyone seems to be split on the brittle star.

Most places sell it as reef safe but a lot of people have witnessed it eat fish and inverts.

 

[Waddi]

Never heard of them eating coral, but I know they love to pick off fish ect.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes, the green ones will hunt down and eat fish and inverts (but not corals that I've ever heard of). They are referred to as "the green death" because of this. :)

 

[AdamC]

Why not go after corals then since they can't exactly move... I moved him into my ref tank so i can test out some new inverts. See if they show more and last longer.

 

[Bifferwine]

Corals have stingers. Most fish (and inverts) that are predators don't eat them because they sting. It's a totally different type of animal than fish.

 

[AdamC]

That makes sense, I didn't think all coral stung.

 

[d2mini]

I had a green brittle once. Once. :grumble:

 

[Cathic]

haha I like that d2. "once"

 

[brian226]

I have a large green brittle (12"+) he picked off one of my green chromis. I will not buy another. I keep him well fed and he's bin OK, I keep an eye on him though.

 

[clancaster23]

I did have one and in the time I had him I had several fish and a cleaner shrimp disappear and I blame it on the loss of them. I gave the thing away to someone who wanted one and I'll never have one again.

 

[phastroh]

I had one and was warned after a fish vanished. I moved him to my sump in the skimmer section and I had maybe 15 hermits in there and none are left.

It basically eats off the glass now and I give it a piece of shrimp or scallop from time to time. It is large and I will prolly get rid of it sooner or later because I do not want it to starve in there if I forget to feed it.

 

[FishWrangler]

I wouldn't keep them with smaller inverts. The at some point or another will eat something you don't want them to.

 

[Liquid Midnight_inactive]

i actually want one for my predator tank lol call me crazy

 

[AdamC]

I put mine in my sump but he died within a day because apparently he wanted to reach into the protein skimmer motor lol. He hurt one arm but then the next day he was missing multiple so apparently he was dumb