how to feed green brittle

**dadonoflaw** · 11-01-2006, 04:32 AM

i just bought a green brittle star a few days ago and i want to know do i need to feed it directly in addition to its scavenging in the tank?

**Amphibious** · 11-01-2006, 09:45 AM

It will scavenge what it needs.

**JustDavidP** · 11-01-2006, 10:11 AM

I've rigged feeding sticks in the past. Take a wooden dowel, drill a tiny hole in one end of it and use the end of a smallish plastic zip tie as a "spear". Use crazy glue to fix it in place. The zip tie is tough enough to pierce shrimp, clam, and other meaty foods but not a) metalic, or b) sharp and dangerous enough to hurt anything in the tank.

You could also use the commercial, off the shelf, fish tank grippers etc. to do this, if you want to spend some money. I am the king of stingy and DIY

You are BEST to target feed these monsters of the genus Ophiarachna and not let them just "scavenge". IF hungry, these bad boys WILL trap and eat your fish. I have PERSONALLY witnessed this when my green brittle took down a yellow watchman goby in my 75G.

They set up in a "stance" where their body is lifted from the sand bed and they are supported in the form of an inverted "basket" by way of their powerful legs. They will stay like this until an unsuspecting fish travels beneath it. At that point, they POUNCE down on the fish and trap them.

They can get rather large as well. I had a brown brittle star that was more than 1 foot across before I gave him away.

Dave

**fat walrus** · 11-02-2006, 12:26 AM

Don't worry about it. After a green brittle star settles down, it may beat your fish to the food during feeding time.

**dadonoflaw** · 11-02-2006, 02:10 AM

yea i just got it the other day and i noticed that it didnt come out the first two days and now it comes out a little but doesnt get any food that i can see. i recently broke off some chaeto that was taking over my fuge and put it in the main tank. will he eat some of that. or will he be fine in a few days?

**fat walrus** · 11-02-2006, 03:00 AM

Originally Posted by dadonoflaw

yea i just got it the other day and i noticed that it didnt come out the first two days and now it comes out a little but doesnt get any food that i can see. i recently broke off some chaeto that was taking over my fuge and put it in the main tank. will he eat some of that. or will he be fine in a few days?

Don't worry about it. In time, you may be concerned that he gets to the food too quickly before your other specimens. You will not see it feed initially because in the wild it is mainly nocturnal, but it will adjust and become the most "aware of its environment" out of all your scavengers.

**Raggamuffin** · 11-02-2006, 02:42 PM

My serpent was the same way, my fish know when I dip the cup frozen food is comming and start darting everywhere, my star just walks over to where my flow direction inevitably takes it and waits. It gets more then anything else in the tank and leaves the hermits to clean up. I didn't know these things could "hear" but he is generally the first to notice when feeding time comes.

**JustDavidP** · 11-07-2006, 12:25 PM

They won't eat Chaeto...

**Japheth** · 11-08-2006, 02:22 PM

I have a green brittle that is about 14" (~2.5" center disk). I always hand feed it. Shrimp, krill, silversides, nori, it loves it all. Mine has never given me a problem with eating other fish but you do take a gamble with them. My starfish and my snowflake eel are the only things that will take food out of my hand.

**fat walrus** · 11-10-2006, 02:42 AM

Originally Posted by JustDavidP

They won't eat Chaeto...

Agreed.

They seek meat.

**JustDavidP** · 11-10-2006, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by fat walrus

Agreed....They seek meat.

And once in a while.. an Amstel Light

Dave

**saxman** · 11-17-2006, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Japheth

I have a green brittle that is about 14" (~2.5" center disk). I always hand feed it. Shrimp, krill, silversides, nori, it loves it all. Mine has never given me a problem with eating other fish but you do take a gamble with them. My starfish and my snowflake eel are the only things that will take food out of my hand.

i had a GB that was about 16" tip-to-tip...always hand fed it, never had a problem other than it swiping food from my Tubastrea.

careful with that snowflake...i used to hand feed mine and it got cranky when it got to be about 13 years old...i have the scars to prove it.

**dadonoflaw** · 11-17-2006, 06:26 PM

my brittle star rarely comes out during the day even during feeding time but i dont have alot of fish yet so i dont feed alot. however when my g/f comes over he seems to be out more and i dont know why. maybe he likes her more but i dont know if he is really eating or not but sometimes i can see his arms waving around during feeding which i assume he is using to get food.