Serpent/Brittle Star Placement, sys.    2/27/07 Hi WWM Crew, <Hi Rory, Mich here.> I was wondering the smallest tank size suitable for a brittle or serpent star? <If you feed them well, they can be kept in fairly tight quarters with a density of one Ophiuroid per ten gallons of tank.> Another thing on the same topic is should I wait for my tank to be fully stocked with corals before I add one, as I hear the can knock wobbly ones over? <Mmm, have not really experienced this problem myself.  Though I've seen some monstrous green brittle stars that could probably win an arm wrestling contest against their aquarist.  So it is possibility.  But with appropriate choices I think can be avoided.  I would recommend the serpent stars.  I personally steer clear of the brittle stars, too often predatory>   Does the same go for rockwork, as my centerpiece rock is a fair bit wobbly if I pushed down on it, shall I glue / miliputt it securely? <I think I would try to eliminate anything really shaky.  Often can be done just by placing a few pieces of rubble rock in strategic places, or zip ties or putty etc.> Thanks for your guidance! <Welcome!  Hope this helps!  -Mich> Rory Fentem

A Brittlestar With No Aquarium (6/14/04) Hi. <Hello. Steve Allen tonight> I am getting a brittle fish <per your title a Brittlestar> tomorrow. I have nothing for it. <You can't be serious! Why would you buy a creature if you don't even have a home for it?>  What do I need? A bowl? What kind of food?  How much water? Thank you. <A minimum 45-gallon tank with saltwater at specific gravity around 1.024, with a nice pile of live rock on a bed of aragonite sand, proper filtration, heater, etc. In other words, nothing short of a proper marine aquarium set-up. If you are really going to keep just the Brittlestar (and maybe a shrimp), you could get by with a smaller (say 10G) tank with a lot of maintenance work. Please do not buy an animal for which you have not prepared a proper home.>

White sea star - 2/12/03 Thanks for the info - I'll start my research - the only thing I knew about the sand sifting stars (white) was that they supposedly kill DSBs... <That's a matter of perspective and one that I would actually disagree with. I'm sure I could guess where you've read that tidbit. A controversial author or a post from one of his followers. At any rate, I'll say that the white sand burrowing stars can be extremely useful and hardy for larger aquaria (100 gallons and more) and will preclude the need for many or most other diatom feeding animals. Far and away they will serve the greater good in large tanks. In small aquaria, however, they will simply starve to death for having been put in an inappropriate position. Claims that they deplete micro-crustaceans and other motile organisms are pretty far-fetched. They are deposit feeders that do a fine job of keeping diatoms off the sand surface. Still... I was not referring to the such sea stars, but rather an entirely different family (The Ophiuroids) which are just incredible, safe and hardy> Would my tangs eat the stars? <that would be rare, bud. Best regards, Anthony>

Basket star info please Hi, I've wrote you a small while ago about a couple of gorgonians i had (frilly, and a whip). The whip opened up and the other is doing good too. Anyhow my question is about a basket star i acquired recently. Any info you have from personal experience would help. -I skimmed the brittle/serpent/basket star part but it doesn't say a lot about these guys-. <Not a lot known about this groups captive husbandry. What little I know of is recorded on the WWM site. Perhaps a long search on the Net? Maybe you can write a definitive article for the hobby magazines? Bob Fenner> Any additional info would help. Thanks. Dustin.

Re: Sand & Stars Hi, thanks for your prompt answer. <<Hello, you are quite welcome.>> In your mail you said that "perhaps it's time to put a little more sand..." but Anthony says "5 inches or more or 1" or less... right now I have a 1/2" - 1 1/4" from the front to the back of my tank... <<I had to call Anthony on the phone to make sure we both sing the same song. To clarify without putting words in his mouth, it is his observation that an inch or less is a zero-sum; no harm, no benefit. In between one and three inches is certain disaster - the sand bed will be neither anoxic or anaerobic. Something between 3 and 6 inches is best advised - three is great, four is better, five even better and so on.>> So I think I will run for a Brittle star... (one? two? <<depending on the size, one, perhaps two, no more.>> my tank is a 200 lts with sump) My actual animal inventory is: 1 damsel yellow tail, 1 damsel blue devil, 1 tang, 4-5 blue legged hermits, 4 Turbo snails, 2 little peppermint shrimp, 1 banded shrimp. nothing will fight with the Brittlestar?? <<There aren't many things that 'fight' with brittle stars, the seastar would bail out rather than fight.>> Thanks again. Carlos <<You are quite welcome. Cheers, J -- >>

Brittle Star, freshwater/marine algae, euryhaline sea minkees Hi, Bob and experts, <<And hello to you...>> I just brought two brittle stars and I would like to know whether is it safe to keep in a DSB ? One is a Banded Serpent Star (Ophiolepis superba) and one is normal brittle star (Ophiocoma sp). Both are about 3-4 inch big. <<As long as they aren't green brittle stars [these can be predatory] you should be all set. These seastars really don't do much below the surface of the sandbed.>> 2. Just curious to know whether a fresh water algae (seaweed) is able to grow in salt water ? <<No, I don't think so... different osmotic balance required in cell walls, etc.>> 3. One last thing, I planning to keep brine shrimp. Wonder I will stay alive in saltwater? <<You mean like Sea Monkeys? No, they need true brine.>> and if yes, can I add those stuff into my reef tank after it hatched? <<You could add it like food, but I wouldn't add these as inhabitants. The resulting die-off could spell disaster.>> Thanks Regards
Danny
<<Cheers, J -- >>