hermit crabs and brittle sea star

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talloulou

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Apr 12, 2005
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I have a bunch of small hermit crabs in my tank. The other day at Petco they had some brittle sea stars and I was tempted to get one. The girl working the fish told me the hermit crabs will eat the brittle star, is that true??? I didn't buy one because of what she said but I don't remember hearing that before. Also I know live aquaria sells packages that come with brittle stars and hermit crabs in one package so it didn't make sense to me.
 
The LARGE hermits, might bother them, but not the small reef safe hermits.
 
Thanks Hara, that's what I thought. I have lots of live rock for the brittle star to hide in and so I was thinking it would probably be okay. I'm going to go get one this weekend, hopefully they will still have some. I was doing some reading on the subject and read that some fish might try to eat the brittle star as well but I only have a clown fish and four pajama cardinalfish so I don't suspect them to cause any problems. The only other inhabitants are all the stuff that came on the rock. A worm, a tiny starfish, a slug, some weird flea like creatures that zip around the rocks, oh and some snails I bought.

I was also considering buying another clown fish as a mate for the one I have. Does that sound like a good idea?

I also have some mushrooms that I bought from live aquaria awhile back that are thriving. I want to get some more of them and possibly something else that will do well without alot of lighting. Any suggestions?

I haven't had much luck with feather dusters and I'm not sure why.
 
IMO, stay away from the green brittles. Get REAL big and can be predatory so I hear. I've got a greyish/pinkish looking one. Had him for 3 years. Mild mannered. He'll stay in one place for days and all I see is his legs. He may come out at nite. He eats pellets.

What kinda hermits you got?

Those weird flea like creatures - copepods or amphipods. That's a good thing.

Looked at Ricordia? Similar to shrooms. Look at frogspawn coral.
 
polka dot crab vs brittle star

I love my Polka Dot Hermit Crab and he is very reef safe, but he does eat the feet of my brittle star every chance he gets, even when well fed. (y)
 
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