Stars and Clowns and Anemones, Oh My.

Hey all,

I'm having a nice relaxing morning watching the fish swim and the
anemones sway in the "breeze". Then I noticed Chip the Chocolate Chip
Star creeping up over the back of the rock sneaking up on my anemones.
I had my sleeve rolled up to take corrective action but was waiting to
see if he would actually make the move on them. I saw one arm snake out
over the top. Then another. Out of nowhere the Perc. clown ( I haven't
named her yet but it won't be Nemo.) charges Chip and starts nipping at
the end of his arm. That put an end to his attempt at a quick lunch. He
is now wandering around the tank looking for another meal. Now where
did I put that frozen whiting fish ....

Sorry. I just had to share. I love watching the tank and how everything
interacts. Now that my clowns have started to use the anemones as hosts
the loss to Chips hunger may subside and I'll have them for longer than
6 months. I was just about ready to trade Chip in for store credit. Now
I'll have to keep and eye on him to see if this pattern holds true with
the clowns protecting their home.

Has anyone heard of stars eating anemones before? I know they are
opportunists. Both of my primary reef LFS said that Chip would be find
in my tank. Nevermind. I just researched this at
http://www.thatpetplace.com/LiveFish...25/Detail.aspx
and noticed he is not a reef safe additive. Time to trade Chip in on
another banded serpent. Oh well. Another trip to the LFS. I wonder what
else will come home with me ...

I have a couple questions about corals but I'll raise those in a
different thread.

Greg

Get a brittle, not a serpent.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



wrote on 12/21/2006 1:18 PM:
Hey all,

I'm having a nice relaxing morning watching the fish swim and the
anemones sway in the "breeze". Then I noticed Chip the Chocolate Chip
Star creeping up over the back of the rock sneaking up on my anemones.
I had my sleeve rolled up to take corrective action but was waiting to
see if he would actually make the move on them. I saw one arm snake out
over the top. Then another. Out of nowhere the Perc. clown ( I haven't
named her yet but it won't be Nemo.) charges Chip and starts nipping at
the end of his arm. That put an end to his attempt at a quick lunch. He
is now wandering around the tank looking for another meal. Now where
did I put that frozen whiting fish ....

Sorry. I just had to share. I love watching the tank and how everything
interacts. Now that my clowns have started to use the anemones as hosts
the loss to Chips hunger may subside and I'll have them for longer than
6 months. I was just about ready to trade Chip in for store credit. Now
I'll have to keep and eye on him to see if this pattern holds true with
the clowns protecting their home.

Has anyone heard of stars eating anemones before? I know they are
opportunists. Both of my primary reef LFS said that Chip would be find
in my tank. Nevermind. I just researched this at
http://www.thatpetplace.com/LiveFish...25/Detail.aspx
and noticed he is not a reef safe additive. Time to trade Chip in on
another banded serpent. Oh well. Another trip to the LFS. I wonder what
else will come home with me ...

I have a couple questions about corals but I'll raise those in a
different thread.

Greg

"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message news
Get a brittle, not a serpent.

All brittle start I have met in the trade are very sensitive
to light and find a spot where it is the darkest...
I have one black brittle star which ventured into the
wall of the AllGlass overflow in my tank - I am unable
to take it out of there... nor I am able to see it on the display.

Nice red ones are he http://www.sealifeinc.com/

But as they grow big, they stick their arms out in all
directions, and the arms can be seen crawling up the sides
of the tank.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Pszemol wrote on 12/21/2006 2:30 PM:
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
news
Get a brittle, not a serpent.

All brittle start I have met in the trade are very sensitive
to light and find a spot where it is the darkest...
I have one black brittle star which ventured into the
wall of the AllGlass overflow in my tank - I am unable
to take it out of there... nor I am able to see it on the display.

Nice red ones are he http://www.sealifeinc.com/

"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
news
Get a brittle, not a serpent.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Brittle stars will eat anenomes as well. At least my green one does,
especially if they aren't doing too well.

George

"George" wrote in message ...
Brittle stars will eat anenomes as well. At least my green
one does, especially if they aren't doing too well.

Well, that is the main purpose of "cleaning crew"
animals to eat dead and dying tank mates.

"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
"George" wrote in message
...
Brittle stars will eat anenomes as well. At least my green
one does, especially if they aren't doing too well.

Well, that is the main purpose of "cleaning crew"
animals to eat dead and dying tank mates.

True, although mine has also sank it's 'teeth' right into quite healthy
ones as well. I wouldn't exactly call a 15 year old 20" (from armtip to
armtip) green brittle star typical of the type of cleaning crew that most
want to keep in their reef tanks. Which is why I don't keep it in the main
tank anymore. But that's just my own experience talking.

George

"George" wrote in message ...
True, although mine has also sank it's 'teeth' right into quite healthy
ones as well. I wouldn't exactly call a 15 year old 20" (from armtip to
armtip) green brittle star typical of the type of cleaning crew that most
want to keep in their reef tanks. Which is why I don't keep it in the main
tank anymore. But that's just my own experience talking.

Yes, I have heard reports about the green ones being "bad guys".
Too large for an average aquarium.

There is a green star fish that is often called a brittle
star, and sometimes called a serpent star. It's nature is
like half way between the two. In some ways it's not as
bad as a serpent star, but it is not as good as a brittle
star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



George wrote on 12/21/2006 5:18 PM:
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
news
Get a brittle, not a serpent.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Brittle stars will eat anenomes as well. At least my green one does,
especially if they aren't doing too well.

George

I've always heard the green serpent stars are NOT reef safe. I have a
brown brittle star that has been absolutely fine with my anemones. He
is at least 10 inches across. I've had him for at least 6 months. He
tends to hide most of the time and comes out at feeding times. After
Chip made a play for the anemones he moved on to try to eat the brown
star. Its interesting watching the brittle star "run" around the tank.

I did a quick search for the match to my brown brittle before the
previous post and couldn't find any reference to anything other than
the green serpent star. That is why I posted I was going to head for
the LFS and get a serpent star. When I make the trip Friday I'm going
to try for another brown brittle star. At one time I had about 100
little baby stars crawling in and out of all the cracks in the rocks.
They were awesome to watch. Then I brought home a Green Emperor Goby
and 3 Yellow Tangs. The stars quickly disappeared. I still find a few
hiding in my Fluval canister at cleaning times.

BTW - I would post more scientific names if I new them. I really need
to figure out all I have and keep track of it so I can accurately
describe any issues when they arise.

Wayne Sallee wrote:
There is a green star fish that is often called a brittle
star, and sometimes called a serpent star. It's nature is
like half way between the two. In some ways it's not as
bad as a serpent star, but it is not as good as a brittle
star.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



George wrote on 12/21/2006 5:18 PM:
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
news
Get a brittle, not a serpent.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Brittle stars will eat anemones as well. At least my green one does,
especially if they aren't doing too well.

George