Looks like a brittle star came into my mostly dry rock startup

[rhitee93]

I just started this system about 3 weeks ago with over 100lbs of dry rock. I added a little mature rock (maybe 20lbs) from my LFS and it looks like a little brittle star found it's way in.

It is the only macroscopic critter in the tank at the moment!

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Wooaaah that's some decent luck. Might have to feed him if you want to keep him.

 

[rhitee93]

Yeah, I was thinking about that. The only reason I even saw it was because I had shut all the flow off to add some pods and phytoplankton in preparation for some fish going in next week. I'm wondering if that sent drew it out of hiding.

I could shut he flow off an put a piece of frozen mysis on the rock. Would that work?

 

[exnisstech]

I could shut he flow off an put a piece of frozen mysis on the rock. Would that work?

You could try that. I've never fed any directly but it wouldn't hurt. Once you start feeding fish it'll find good.
I've had some survive months in a brute container curing rock that never had food added so they seem to be pretty hardy.

 

[rhitee93]

Lol, I placed a couple of mysis shrimp near the hole, and it went crazy grabbing tem and pulling them down into the rock. While I had the long pipette out I went ahead and dropped 5 or 6 small food pettes around the hole and it grabbed them too.

It's bigger than I realized. While I was doing this I saw another arm come out of a hole in the rock that is about an inch away. It must be close to 2" across tip to tip.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Lol, I placed a couple of mysis shrimp near the hole, and it went crazy grabbing tem and pulling them down into the rock. While I had the long pipette out I went ahead and dropped 5 or 6 small food pettes around the hole and it grabbed them too.

It's bigger than I realized. While I was doing this I saw another arm come out of a hole in the rock that is about an inch away. It must be close to 2" across tip to tip.

So cool! I wonder if it's going to develop a feeding response to the pipette.

They don't have any sort of vision do they?

 

[rhitee93]

I really don't know much about them. I had a couple of small ones that found their way into the last tank I had, but that was 20 years ago. I've always loved starfish though, even as a kid.