culturing mini serpent stars

[berghia_R_awesome]

I'm looking into culturing mini brittle stars. I happen to think that mini brittle stars are spectacular detrivores and can significantly aid in keeping a tank free of decaying food.

I'd like to set up a small tank with some mini brittle stars and try to propagate them. I'd like to add them to my display as well as be able to share them with some friends. Just wondering if anyone had any ideas on what sort of environment these little guys will thrive in and reproduce at respectable rates.

J

 

[Billgax]

They seem to like tight little nooks and crannies (liverock associated). I would try a bundle of soda straws or something like that (for ease In routine maintenance and such) for their domociles? Wod of chaeto maybe?

 

[xmetalfan99]

I know some people are gong to bash me a little on this one, but a good quick way to propagate them would be to cut them in half with each half having part of the mouth. Not exactly nice, but it is effective. I am with you on the amazing detrivore thing.

 

[Billgax]

Microsurgery... hope you don't drink as much java as I do... sounds reasonable though. What would be amazing is to get the to spawn... Have heard of it happening several times, though I don't recall the possible cues...

 

[fsu1dolfan]

Yeah I love these little stars. I tend to find a ton in my chaeto. I guess they get alot of stuff to eat in there. Chaeto might be something to think about.

 

[Aquaph8]

I agree about the chaeto. They really seem to love living in it. The way these guys reproduce in my tank their has gotta be some A-sexual reproduction going on without any help.

 

[Rockadile]

I think they tend to split rather then spawn

 

[Tabasco1]

I was going to say that they I think most of their reproduction is asexual and not spawning in the aquarium. They do seem to reproduce with no apparent spawning. Chaeto and LR with lots of nooks and crannies. I would think that the population would max out and then to see any further growth you would have to harvest regularly.

 

[Wy Renegade]

I would think the best way to culture these would be to simply keep a mature/healthy aquarium and once your population gets high enough, start removing them.

 

[berghia_R_awesome]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'll do some research and set up a tank with a specific amount of them in it and try some different methods care and see if I can get them to multiply.

J

 

[xmetalfan99]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'll do some research and set up a tank with a specific amount of them in it and try some different methods care and see if I can get them to multiply.

J

Sounds like a plan. Let us know how it goes. Goodluck

 

[spscrazy]

hope you get some going, I wanted some because I hear they are great at keeping your live rock clean, I tried to buy some but they wanted $35 for 6 and then 50 bucks for shipping too much for me!

 

[SeeingGreen]

Yeah I love these little stars. I tend to find a ton in my chaeto. I guess they get alot of stuff to eat in there. Chaeto might be something to think about.

++1

I ran a modded AC110 for a while and they went nuts in there in the chaeto. Now, i tend to find them on the bottoms of frag plugs, and anywhere dark.Ig you have a dark area in your sump, replacing a rubble or bioball area with a bunch of staggered egg crate to create removable nooks where they can avoid body flow, while allowing filter feeding would be good. That would also allow you to take the crate apart and harvest them. Another note, I think they do sexual, as I have seen what appears to be dog piles of them when the lights go out... while not a manual process proximity may be helpful...

 

[tclipse]

I assume we're talking about the ones that look identical to the "standards" except like 1/5 the size, and not the micro whites that live in the sand correct?

 

[berghia_R_awesome]

I assume we're talking about the ones that look identical to the "standards" except like 1/5 the size, and not the micro whites that live in the sand correct?

The mini brittles are what I had in mind, although I do seem to find a fair amount of the really tiny white ones as well.

J

 

[fsu1dolfan]

hope you get some going, I wanted some because I hear they are great at keeping your live rock clean, I tried to buy some but they wanted $35 for 6 and then 50 bucks for shipping too much for me!

Yeah those and berghia nudibranches are some of the most over priced little critters in this hobby - I understand they are slightly difficult to culture but thats highway robbery!

 

[Aquaph8]

The mini brittles are what I had in mind, although I do seem to find a fair amount of the really tiny white ones as well.

J

The little white ones are asternia's. They will turn on your corals sometimes.

 

[Akwarius]

Yeah those and berghia nudibranches are some of the most over priced little critters in this hobby - I understand they are slightly difficult to culture but thats highway robbery!

If you really think they are overpriced then sell your own and undercut the competition. It's the American way!

 

[berghia_R_awesome]

Yeah those and berghia nudibranches are some of the most over priced little critters in this hobby - I understand they are slightly difficult to culture but thats highway robbery!

Yep. Buying three berghia and culturing them until you have enough to stock your tank properly is the best way to do it without forking out loads of cash. The tough part is having enough aiptasia on hand to sustain the culture.

The little white ones are asternia's. They will turn on your corals sometimes.

No. I know what asterenia's are. I'm referring to tiny serpents even smaller than mini brittles (about 1cm total diameter from one leg to the the end of the opposite leg). These little guys are pretty hard to spot and live primarily in the substrate. They are a type of serpent star. Different species than mini brittles but likely in the same family/genus.

J

 

[tclipse]

The little white ones are asternia's. They will turn on your corals sometimes.

Nono we were talking about the white micro brittles.. their bodies are about the size of pinheads.

On a side note, I just dosed with FWE and both my micro white and mini (banded like the bigger ones) stars as well as my one regular sized brittle are NOT enjoying it at all... so far I only think it has killed 2-3 of the tiny whites but just something to be mindful of if you plan on culturing these.