Mini Brittle Stars Questions....

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SkinnyPete

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
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MA
I just got a big chunk of chaeto from a local reefer. I don't see any pods in there, but I do see tons of worms and mini brittle stars. My question is - I'm planning on adding the chaeto to my fuge where I'm building a pretty nice home for pods. I've got tons of them swimming around in there and I don't want to add anything that will feed on them. I thought I read somewhere that brittle stars feed on pods, but I can't find it anywhere so maybe I"m making that up.

Can someone let me know (before I add this chaeto) if brittle stars will eat my pods in the fuge? And what is the benefits of having worms and mini stars in your fuge/system?

Thanks so much. I'm floating the bag now and will wait for a response (hopefully).

- Skins
 
Someone on another site told me they thought they remembered reading that the white mini stars are fine, but that striped colored stars may be pod eaters - but this person couldn't confirm.

The ones I have are definitely colored and striped. I've been waiting 7 months with a hob fuge to build up my pod population for a mandarin - hopefully I didn't blow it.

Anyone have any info on micro / mini stars and if they are pod eaters?

Thanks.
 
I can't be sure, but I've never seen or heard of brittle stars eating pods. I have probably around 20 mini brittle stars that hitched a ride in on liverock and I still have a booming pod population. In a more closed environment however, I can't be sure. They are filter feeders, meaning that they grab their food from the water column...but I dunno if a pod would count in that case.
 
Brittle Stars will eat anything they can get catch, this includes small oranmental shrimp(ie sexy shrimp) pods, small fry, every type of fish food, you name it. However, the likelihood of one of them catching any live prey is very unlikely.
 
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