What will eat Brittle starfish and Bristle worms

[PeterErc]

Harlequin tusk ate the stars and pretty much anything else it could fit in its mouth.

 

[Reefering1]

My pods are fed well.

Sorry, by "pods", I meant cuc. I assumed they could use a little help because you said you don't see brittle stars or bristle worms at night(even after adding). I guess its just as possible that a resident eats them, keeping them out of sight.

 

[RedoubtReef]

I typically like to leave hitchhikers alone that help with clean up but the population of both brittle stars and bristle worms has exploded. It's a 2 year old tank. I know they will reproduce when there's a food source so my bioload is obviously perfect for them. I have lots of LPS coral that are doing amazingly well so I don't want to change any feeding schedules for my fish/corals. I only feed them once a day as it is and I just don't want to mess anything up but I need to get rid of some of these guys. Anyone have experience with getting rid of them not just physically but with another invert or crab that's coral and sand sifting starfish safe? Harlequins are a no go because I love my Patrick and don't want him eaten lol

PM me. I'd be happy to buy the brittle stars from you.

 

[Lavey29]

If you want more, dump a handful of food in there regularly. Some frozen, some flake, just storm the tank with food. Itll get in all the nooks and crannies, cuc will meet the need. Keep a eye on nutrients and adjust export. FWIW, my tank doesn't use a reef mat or any filtration that water is forced through. The filter socks haven't been changed or cleaned in years, water just overflows and moves on. They are there to catch bubbles and large debris. Majority of my drain water flows, unfiltered, into a big pile of chaeto catching particulates. I just let it get dirty and cuc expands to keep it clean. Turning waste into food while reducing maintenance efforts. In my humble opinion, most people try to keep the system too clean. The ocean is not spotlessly clean, anywhere

I operate in a similar manner

 

[Nonya]

I typically like to leave hitchhikers alone that help with clean up but the population of both brittle stars and bristle worms has exploded. It's a 2 year old tank. I know they will reproduce when there's a food source so my bioload is obviously perfect for them. I have lots of LPS coral that are doing amazingly well so I don't want to change any feeding schedules for my fish/corals. I only feed them once a day as it is and I just don't want to mess anything up but I need to get rid of some of these guys. Anyone have experience with getting rid of them not just physically but with another invert or crab that's coral and sand sifting starfish safe? Harlequins are a no go because I love my Patrick and don't want him eaten lol

They are both part of the CUC, and the stars are always nice to see. I would just leave them alone and reduce feeding.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I wish I had your problem! I’ve bought both to add to my tank and looking with a flashlight at night, nothing. I know they are in there but a little confirmation would be nice.

I'll try to remember to bring you some stars this summer

 

[Nonya]

I'll try to remember to bring you some stars this summer

My lunare wrasse wiped out my entire CUC. He's dead now, so...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My lunare wrasse wiped out my entire CUC. He's dead now, so...

Well if you live near Canfield, Ohio, I'll try to bring you some too, lol

 

[taratronhex]

I would love some of those starfish if you're shipping any!

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

Both my tanks have them and for me they are a problem. They are in every coral period. They might not eat corals but they will tick them off. I have witnessed the brittle stars under the fold of skin that covers the sharp edges of the skeleton on my torches. I have had many polyp bailouts, afterwards the stars are in the heart of the skeleton. I have cut the branches down to the main stem and they are deep inside. It is this burrowing that makes them difficult to remove.

There is something going on between the stars and my torches, they might not eat the flesh but they are in that deep for a reason. Another issue I noticed is the skeletons has become very brittle. I can crush it between my fingers. This was not the case three years ago. (any insight on this would be appreciated)
I do ICP every three months and Moonshiners for adjustments. Without going thru all my parameters my ICP score ranges from 95%-98%. The main chemicals are Apex and trident dosed. nitrates range from 2.5 - 15 phosphates .02 -.4 PH 8 - 8.4 I check the apex numbers three times a day after the trident completes the testing, sometime I can go months without making adjustments. ALK 8-8.5 CAL 425-475 MAG 1300-1375
Salinity 1.0255 - 1.0262

I hear Bongo shrimp will eat them up but I have not been successful finding any for sale.

The pictures are after dipping my two torches (Todd's and NY nicks both are around 10 heads and sit on a rock 3" x 5" pedestal) with Red Sea Dip for 10 minutes each. Torches always enjoy the dip and look better after loosing all these freeloaders (Brittle stars, chitons, Asterina stars and Vermetid snails) and yes maybe 50% come from the pedestal. Can you find any critters I have not listed?

 

[Nonya]

Both my tanks have them and for me they are a problem. They are in every coral period. They might not eat corals but they will tick them off. I have witnessed the brittle stars under the fold of skin that covers the sharp edges of the skeleton on my torches. I have had many polyp bailouts, afterwards the stars are in the heart of the skeleton. I have cut the branches down to the main stem and they are deep inside. It is this burrowing that makes them difficult to remove.

There is something going on between the stars and my torches, they might not eat the flesh but they are in that deep for a reason. Another issue I noticed is the skeletons has become very brittle. I can crush it between my fingers. This was not the case three years ago. (any insight on this would be appreciated)
I do ICP every three months and Moonshiners for adjustments. Without going thru all my parameters my ICP score ranges from 95%-98%. The main chemicals are Apex and trident dosed. nitrates range from 2.5 - 15 phosphates .02 -.4 PH 8 - 8.4 I check the apex numbers three times a day after the trident completes the testing, sometime I can go months without making adjustments. ALK 8-8.5 CAL 425-475 MAG 1300-1375
Salinity 1.0255 - 1.0262

I hear Bongo shrimp will eat them up but I have not been successful finding any for sale.

The pictures are after dipping my two torches (Todd's and NY nicks both are around 10 heads and sit on a rock 3" x 5" pedestal) with Red Sea Dip for 10 minutes each. Torches always enjoy the dip and look better after loosing all these freeloaders (Brittle stars, chitons, Asterina stars and Vermetid snails) and yes maybe 50% come from the pedestal. Can you find any critters I have not listed?

I would take every one of those stars.

 

[exnisstech]

I would take every one of those stars.

Same. I just picked up a little maxima clam that had a nice one living in one of the flutes on the shell.

 

[kevgib67]

I had to buy mine from a member on here. A couple of months ago I saw one in the water column, strange, and it latched onto to the power cord of my wave maker.

 

[taratronhex]

I too would pay for a good deal of those starfish.

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

I would love some of those starfish if you're shipping any!

These are after the Red Sea dip and are fertilizer now. To pull them from the tank alive is not so easy, they rarely leave the rock work or corals. The stars break while trying to extract them causing more that when you started.

 

[TinnysReef]

Both my tanks have them and for me they are a problem. They are in every coral period. They might not eat corals but they will tick them off. I have witnessed the brittle stars under the fold of skin that covers the sharp edges of the skeleton on my torches. I have had many polyp bailouts, afterwards the stars are in the heart of the skeleton. I have cut the branches down to the main stem and they are deep inside. It is this burrowing that makes them difficult to remove.

There is something going on between the stars and my torches, they might not eat the flesh but they are in that deep for a reason. Another issue I noticed is the skeletons has become very brittle. I can crush it between my fingers. This was not the case three years ago. (any insight on this would be appreciated)
I do ICP every three months and Moonshiners for adjustments. Without going thru all my parameters my ICP score ranges from 95%-98%. The main chemicals are Apex and trident dosed. nitrates range from 2.5 - 15 phosphates .02 -.4 PH 8 - 8.4 I check the apex numbers three times a day after the trident completes the testing, sometime I can go months without making adjustments. ALK 8-8.5 CAL 425-475 MAG 1300-1375
Salinity 1.0255 - 1.0262

I hear Bongo shrimp will eat them up but I have not been successful finding any for sale.

The pictures are after dipping my two torches (Todd's and NY nicks both are around 10 heads and sit on a rock 3" x 5" pedestal) with Red Sea Dip for 10 minutes each. Torches always enjoy the dip and look better after loosing all these freeloaders (Brittle stars, chitons, Asterina stars and Vermetid snails) and yes maybe 50% come from the pedestal. Can you find any critters I have not listed?

Holy crap that's a lot of stars. What about Harlequin shrimp?

I had a boom of astrea stars and they were starting to bother me so I got a pair of them. They are super cute and took care of the stars within 2 weeks. Now I have to keep them happy with chocolate chip starfish every couple of weeks.

 

[TinnysReef]

I just posted about this in a reply above, but I'm betting Harlequin shrimp will take care of the star problem quickly - but if there are any starfish you WANT In the tank they'd likely tackle them as well. Also then once all your stars are gone you'll have to feed them starfish or maybe take them back to your local fish store so they can be used to eradicate stars in another tank.

For the bristleworms (I also think they're gross even if they are normal for a reef tank I'm terrified of being stung by their gross hairs) ... I like all the tiny gobies and so I'm nervous about getting an Arrow Crab. I've read they will catch and eat little fish.

I recently found out that OLIVE SNAILS might eat them. I put some in my tanks and haven't seen them eat bristleworms but maybe they do when they are under the sand? They are very good scavengers so I bet if they can smell them they eat them. Very cool carnivorous snails and fun to watch. And unlike most Naussarius you can get - these guys are BIG. Mine were 1.5" long when I got them. If I put krill or any meaty food in they immediately come out of the sand and devour it - often outcompeting the other scavengers. When my Frogfish Marvin doesn't eat a piece of silverside I LOVE feeding the olive snails.

This is where I got them. They are also, I think, very pretty snails. When there is food around they can haul butt and it's hilarious.

https://seahorsesavvy.com/products/special3-pack-olive-snails-known-for-eating-bristleworms

 

[Nonya]

I just posted about this in a reply above, but I'm betting Harlequin shrimp will take care of the star problem quickly -

I don't know of many people who would refer to the tiny brittle stars as a "problem". They're part of a healthy CUC.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Holy crap that's a lot of stars. What about Harlequin shrimp?

I had a boom of astrea stars and they were starting to bother me so I got a pair of them. They are super cute and took care of the stars within 2 weeks. Now I have to keep them happy with chocolate chip starfish every couple of weeks.

Just to clarify here, Harlequin Shrimp actually most likely won't eat brittle starfish. Despite the name Brittle/Serpent Starfish, they're not really starfish - they're Ophiuroids (taxonomic class Ophiuroidea). Real starfish are Asteroids (taxonomic class Asteroidea).

That said, I've heard that puffers and few other reef-safe with caution/not reef-safe fish will eat brittle stars; for inverts, crabs and hermit crabs (probably larger, less reef-safe species), mantis shrimp (obviously not reef-safe), some not reef-safe starfish, and some larger brittle stars will also eat them.

For bristleworms, plenty of fish will eat them, some predatory (reef-safe with caution/not reef-safe) snails eat them, crabs and hermits (again, typically the large, less reef-safe ones) may eat them, etc. - I've heard that arrow crabs in particular are good for bristleworm control in tanks (but they're reef-safe with caution, as I understand it).

As mentioned, lots of people would love to have the starfish in particular, and some would probably even like to take the worms from you.

 

[TinnysReef]

I don't know of many people who would refer to the tiny brittle stars as a "problem". They're part of a healthy CUC.

Yeah the brittle stars don't bother me. They're cute. The astrea ones ... not a fan.