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FAQs about Green Brittlestars, Ophiarachna incrassata Health
Related Articles: Brittlestars,
Sea Stars, An
Introduction to the Echinoderms: The Sea Stars, Sea Urchins,
Sea Cucumbers and More... By James W.
Fatherree, M.Sc.
Related FAQs: Green Brittlestars 1,
Green Brittlestars 2, & FAQs on:
Green Brittlestars Identification,
Green Brittlestars Behavior, Green
Brittlestars Compatibility, Green
Brittlestars Selection, Green
Brittlestars Systems, Green
Brittlestars Feeding, Green
Brittlestars Reproduction, &
Brittlestars 1, Brittlestars 2,
Brittlestars 3, & Brittlestar ID,
Brittlestar Behavior,
Brittlestar Compatibility,
Brittlestar Selection,
Brittlestar Systems,
Brittlestar Feeding,
Brittlestar Disease,
Brittlestar Reproduction, & Seastar
Selection, Seastar Compatibility,
Seastar Systems, Seastar Feeding,
Seastar Reproduction, Seastar Disease, | 
Going, going... gone.
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banded serpent star concerns,
hlth., env. 7/26/09
Hi! My name is Michelle and I have a 55gal. saltwater tank with a mated
pair of black percula clowns, 4 yellow-tail damsels, 3 green chromis,
one blue urchin, some assorted hermits, a few mushrooms and buttons, and
(one of the first additions to my tank besides the clowns) a banded
serpent star. I've had my tank for a couple of years and everyone in the
tank has been there for several months( or longer), except for a couple
of the chromis. Anyway, lately, we've noticed some strange things going
on with our serpent star. Normally, it hides in the rocks and you can
barely see it; but recently it has come up to the front of the tank and
is in plain view. I also noticed that parts of its arms are missing and
I've found a few of the pieces in the tank this morning. The ends of his
arm are white, but nothing seems to be oozing out or anything. The
starfish is still moving and I believe it's still eating( usually eats
pellets or bits of mysis, brine, or daphnia that falls to the bottom of
the tank). The disc looks fine and I was wondering if you could help me
figure out what was going on.
<Mmm, something amiss with water quality almost certainly...>
No one is bothering the starfish, but about a month of two ago we did
have a problem with pop-eye with the female clown. She was treated
<With what? Might be the Ophiuroid cause...>
and is better and everything has been stable since. We just added 2-3
chromis because a couple of ours died while treating the clownfish( I
was told it was die -off from treatment) and I didn't want to leave just
one chromis in the tank, since they're schooling fish. My water quality
reads fine( the ph reads at 7.8, but that is still in acceptable range
according to my test strip)
<Mmm, no... borderline toxic... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marphalk.htm
and the linked files above>
I use Quick Dip test strips by Jungle. My salinity was a bit high(1.26,
but I usually keep it at between 1.25 and 1.26 for our mushrooms and
corals). Do you have any advice?
<See WWM re Ophiuroids...>
Depending on your response, I was considering moving him to my sump for
better observation and to some what quarantine him. Thanks for your
advice and speedy response!
Thanks again,
Michelle
<The trouble here is very likely environmental. Bob Fenner>
Sick Seastar
I have a green brittle star that i just recently
purchased...his legs are starting to fall off...first they are
turning pink and then the spines are falling off and then his leg
falls off. he is still alive but i want to make sure there is
nothing wrong with him...i do have a horseshoe crab but the star is
in a hard to reach cave...is there a bacteria eating him or is this
normal. please help i am very worried. Thanks
>>
Not normal,
and not a good sign... I suspect your brittle star was/is infected
and its health impaired from collection, shipping and handling... It
will either self-heal or perish... if the latter, do try and remove
the remains from your system.
Bob FennerSick Serpent Star
Hi,
I read your responses to other peoples questions and they
were very helpful.
<Ah, good>
I have a green Serpent Star
named Pepe that is about 4 years old and he has recently become
quite sick. I noticed that one of his legs has detached from the
socket and then later that day, a piece broke off of another leg.
<Not good signs>
I recently had an algae problem and my water
quality is not the best right now.
I have a 33 gallon hex tank
with only have one other fish in the tank with some live rock. I
thought if I slowly changed the water over a period of time to
improve the water quality, it may help him. I vacuumed and changed
only 4 gallons of water. The next day he broke off half of another
leg and the next day another half. He is still trying to eat but he
is having a hard time getting food. I also noticed that he has two
large vertical openings underneath his disc on each side of one of
his legs where I can see his insides. I can't tell if those are the
only openings. Also, where he lost is full leg, now there is an
opening to inside his disk.
<Time to make much more concerted
attempts at improving water quality...>
I read all of your
responses to related questions and was hopeful that he may recover
but now I am not so sure. Should I continue to change a few gallons
of water everyday to help improve his conditions or will that make
matters worse? I also don't know what to do with the detached leg
pieces. The are still moving and although I know they can't live
forever, it seems weird to flush them when there are still alive.
<I would make a massive (like half) water change if you can be sure
the new water is "okay"... better if it were pre-made up and stored
ahead of use... but I wouldn't wait even if it had to be made now
and used... And do gravel vacuum the bottom in removing the present
water. Also, I would add some activated carbon to your filter... And
clean out whatever filter gear you do have in the process. Do you
have live rock?>
I'm sorry to send you such a lengthy e-mail and
I appreciate any information
that you can give me to help save
Pepe's life.
<The length of these messages is of little concern.
Supplying enough information, expressing yourself is. Good luck my
friend. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Gina Re: Sick Serpent
Star
Wow - I can't believe you responded so quickly. You are
so sweet for sharing your knowledge with me.
<An honor m'lady>
I do have live rock in my tank. What percentage of water should I
change at a time without hurting my other fish but still helping my
Serpent Star?
<Perhaps 20-25 percent.>
You're the best.
Thanks,
Gina
<Again, good luck my friend. Be of good life. Bob
Fenner> |
Wounded green brittle
starfish 7/18/03
I have a green brittle starfish that has opened
on the top and it looks like a bunch of yellow seeds .It is still alive
and doing well. what happened?
<the creature has a wound caused by
injury or septic infection. You may need to QT it... but do maintain
superb water quality in the meantime and feed as best as you can to help
it recover. Best regards, Anthony> -Brittle star infection-
Hi All!! I am wondering about the different types of diseases for green
brittle starfish. I have one that is having some major problems right
now and don't know what is going on or how to treat it. Two days ago, I
noticed some brown fungus looking "stuff" on the body of the star. I
paid no attention as I figured it was algae that happened to settle onto
it. The next day however, there was a chunk of skin missing from the
star. <Ooo, sounds like it's getting an infection> I could see the
orangish red coloring of its insides and to top it off, today was
worse. It has since lost one arm which is wriggling about the aquarium
and I can see down to the bone of the star. It still has the brownish
colored stuff on it, but the chunk seems to be getting bigger. I don't
know if some tankmate has been beating on it or if it is some sort of
disease. Any type of help would be greatly appreciated. Star is
quarantined, but I don't know how to help it. <That's great that it's
quarantined, but unfortunately, it's very rare that they survive
infections such as you're experiencing. Attempting antibiotics would be
risky at best, so the best you can do is keep the water quality in
tip-top shape by removing any dead/half-dead parts of the star should
they begin to fall off. -Kevin> Thanks again,
Todd
Dying Brittle Star? (2/17/04)
Bob, <Steve Allen tonight.> I
have a green serpent star and have had him for about 4 months now.
He has been doing well up until this AM. I was feeding him small
dead frozen fish from a local saltwater dealer. <Are these fish that
died of some unknown cause or fish that are intended as food?> He
would eat that no problem, then about 2-3 weeks ago he stopped
eating them. I assumed the fish were no good (freezer burn?) and
pitched them. I have been trying to feed him some freeze dried food
to no avail. <I generally feed mine a cheap fresh seafood assortment
from my local Albertson's.>
Today I noticed he has two holes on
the top of his body. <Uh Oh!> He still seems to be moving about
normally but I can't get him to eat. <Not good. These creatures are
usually voracious eaters.> I recently did do a move of the 55 gallon
aquarium that he is in along w/ four perculas, 1 Sailfin tang, and
two green Chromis. At the current moment my salinity is a little low
and in the process of raising it. <If you did not slowly acclimate
the starfish to the salinity, temp and pH of the new tank, he may be
suffering from shock.> Temp at about 75. any suggestions or ideas on
what this might be. <Some sort of toxic effect. Once they start to
disintegrate, they almost never survive. You could try putting him
in a QT (starting with tank water) and keeping the water pristine. A
broad-spectrum antibiotic might be helpful, but I am not optimistic
for the survival of a Brittlestar with a deteriorating central disk,
sorry to say.> | 
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Green brittle star loses all legs 29 Jun 2005
Hi
my green
brittle star just lost all of its legs over a period of 2 days.
<....>
I have him and his legs in their own one gallon tank now.
<?>
All system parameters are were they should be. do you have any
idea what's happening. in the tank i have one Koran Angel (left the
starfish alone), one Clarkii Clown (left the star alone), one Scooter
Blenny (very peaceful), one Lemonpeel Angel (didn't bother the starfish
that i know of)
No rock collapses either any idea
thanks
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestardisfaqs.htm
and the linked
files above. Bob Fenner>
Green Brittle Star 11/10/05
I have a green brittle star and a black brittle star. We did a water
change a few days ago. Everything stayed pretty consistent as far as pH
saltwater etc. However a few days after the change my Green star disk
started swelling it looks like he swallowed a rock and he's going to
explode. Then a few days after my Green star did this my black star
started as well. What is going on?
<... mmm, maybe a reaction to the
water change... but possibly from eating, reproductive products?>
Does it have anything to do with the water change (I was thinking it
might but wouldn't they have started showing this right after the change
not days later)?
<Not necessarily>
Could it possibly be air
bubbles?
<Doubtful>
I have a bubble tube under the gravel to emit
little bubbles to float to the top is it possible they swallowed air
bubbles and can't get rid of the air? They are still moving and
everything but the green one just yesterday had a arm come off. Both the
Green starfish and his severed arm are continuously moving. Let me know
what I should do.
<... keep on keeping on...>
I also just read on
your website that the green brittle star can eat sleeping fish (can the
black one also?)
<Mostly Ophiarachna amongst commonly kept
Brittlestars...>
Maybe that is what has been happening to my fish. I
have a well established maroon clown who always hangs out in his anemone
but when I try to add any new fish like tangs they are fine during the
day and then mysteriously over night they are dead with just their
skeleton floating around or with crabs and starfish eating the body in
the morning.
<Oops... time to get a flashlight out, check during the
night...>
I thought the starfish and crabs were eating them after
they died. Is it possible that either the crab or the starfish actually
caught the fish and killed them?
<Oh yes>
Please get back to me as
soon as you can. This is beginning to quickly become an expensive
project.
Sherri Berg
<Bob Fenner> Re: Green Brittle Star
11/10/05
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. The Black
star fish looks like his stomach came out and he was eating something
last night. This morning I checked on him and he looks fine his big hump
is gone. However my green one is not looking so good. He has lost
another leg, still has his hump and is not coming out during feeding
time.
Sherri Berg
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestars.htm and the linked files
above, particularly "Disease". Bob Fenner> Green Brittle Star
9/30/05
Hi, recently I bought a green brittle starfish last week
on Tuesday. The pet store had a display tank which they took down and
put in separate tanks to be sold. The brittle starfish I bought was
from that display tank. <The most common cause of problems with these
animals is shipping stress. If this animal was already established in
captivity, then it has to be something else...>
My point is that now
my starfish is like eating it's legs or something of the sort. It's
folding it's legs under him and I don't know if he's just cutting them
off or eating them (maybe both -.- ). Is he doing this because he's
stressed from all the moving around or what? <Most likely, yes. These
animals are very sensitive to changes in salinity and pH. It is most
often recommended to acclimate them to a new tank over several hours and
many folks actually use a "drip method" where a piece of airline with a
loose knot is used to drip tank water into the bag water at a rate of
one drop per second or so.>
One more thing, my dad also moved the
starfish from one side of the tank to the other because we were afraid
it was going after the damsels since he was in their hiding
place. Since we moved him, I feel he has been depressed or
something. They told us to feed him once a month. Is he just
hungry? I hope you can help,
I really don't want him to
die. <Usually, when these animals start losing arms, they are
doomed. If it does recover, I would suggest small weekly feedings. I
would also watch it carefully for signs of predatory behavior, as they
are quite capable of capturing fish. Best Regards. AdamC.>
Green Brittle Star Dying? 10/6/06
Hi,
<Hello>
I have a 45 gallon saltwater reef tank and have had a Green
Brittle Star in there for about a year now. He is rather large and
today I noticed one of my small anemones affixed itself to the brittle
star's body (on the top).
<!>
Well, when I came home, all I saw
was a little bit of the anemone's tentacles protruding from the upper
part of brittle star's body.... Obviously he penetrated it's skin and
had moved INSIDE the brittle star.
<Mmm, likely the two were/are
caught in a predaceous act... to the detriment of the Serpentstar>
Well, the brittle star has continued to develop more "holes" on its
upper body and is "hiding" by the filter versus behind the live rock
(where it has remained for the last X months).
Any advice.... Is the
anemone eating the brittle star from the inside out... or is it the
other way around??
<A bit of both. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brittlestardisfaqs.htm
and the linked
files above. BobF>
Thanks,
Craig Donnelly
Green Brittle Star 9/30/05
Hi, recently I bought a green
brittle starfish last week on Tuesday. The pet store had a display
tank which they took down and put in separate tanks to be sold. The
brittle starfish I bought was from that display tank.
<The most
common cause of problems with these animals is shipping stress. If
this animal was already established in captivity, then it has to be
something else...>
My point is that now my starfish is like
eating it's legs or something of the sort. It's folding it's legs
under him and I don't know if he's just cutting them off or eating
them (maybe both -.- ). Is he doing this because he's stressed from
all the moving around or what?
<Most likely, yes. These animals
are very sensitive to changes in salinity and pH. It is most often
recommended to acclimate them to a new tank over several hours and
many folks actually use a "drip method" where a piece of airline
with a loose knot is used to drip tank water into the bag water at a
rate of one drop per second or so.>
One more thing, my dad also
moved the starfish from one side of the tank to the other because we
were afraid it was going after the damsels since he was in their
hiding place. Since we moved him, I feel he has been depressed or
something. They told us to feed him once a month. Is he just
hungry? I hope you can help,
I really don't want him to die.
<Usually, when these animals start losing arms, they are doomed. If
it does recover, I would suggest small weekly feedings. I would
also watch it carefully for signs of predatory behavior, as they are
quite capable of capturing fish. Best Regards. AdamC.> |
Green Brittle Star part 2 10/3/05
Hi again, Thx for
taking time out of your day to help me out. I have one more
question, that I didn't think about asking. =P Since this is
happening to my starfish, do I have to take him out of the
tank? Will he get the other fish sick since he is sick? <When
it becomes clear that it isn't going to survive (it doesn't look
good), I would remove it so that it does not foul the water, but
the condition is not contagious.>
I also attached two
pictures of what he looks like now. What is that white stuff
that seems to be oozing out of one of
his arms? Thanks
again for taking the time to answer my questions. <Glad to
help! The white stuff is simply dying tissue. Best
Regards. AdamC.> | 
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Problem with my Green Serpent Starfish (The Headless Starfish)
I
have had my serpent starfish for well over a year and he has doubled
in size and has been such a joy to us. We had him in a 150 gallon tank
full of live rock and he would always get behind it and make other
rocks fall...so about a month ago we started a small 55 gallon tank just
to add him and a few pieces of rock along with one male and
one female clown. We tested the waters before adding the things to the
new tank and made sure it was established. We put him in my sons room
because he loves to watch him. He has been crawling all over the tank,
and has been eating very well. On Saturday night when I went to bed I
fed the clowns and I also fed him. When we woke up on Sunday Morning...
his central disc had completely blown up... I could see everything
inside his body the whole top is gone. He was still moving all about
the tank. Today is Monday night and all the brown stuff that was
inside him is now a white color but he is still very active and moving
about the tank. I have noticed that his all attached 5 limbs are still
trying to catch food but he has nowhere to put it. Could you please
tell me what I should do.
<Nothing much "to do"... but hope that
this animal will self-cure>
I immediately removed the clowns from
the tank and added them to the 150 gallon tank so he is all alone. I
read that they do not have brains so they do not
experience pain......but I am experiencing enough pain for him. My son
WILL NOT let me flush his as long as he is still moving around the
tank.
<I agree... leave this animal be>
I just do not see how
he is going to recover. Please send me any information that will be
helpful. Thank you so much in your quick response.
Brandi Vickers
<Ophiuroids, Brittlestars have remarkable "powers of regeneration"... Am
hopeful yours will recover. Do your best to "leave it alone" (not add
"medicines"), keep water quality stable... Bob Fenner>
Re:
Problem with my Green Serpent Starfish (The Headless Starfish)
9/16/05
I am sorry to report that I had to flush the
starfish. His legs became detached from his body and he began to have
a foul odor. He was still moving two of the legs that were attached to
nothing. I do plan on getting another one, he was very interesting and
I loved to watch it. And he did last over a year before we lost
him. I am hoping I did not make a bad decision to flush him now. Do
you really think he could have "regenerated" himself?
<Not at
this/that point... I would have done the same>
Thanks for all your
help.
Brandi
<Very important to "match" the water
quality... even better to actually move a good deal of existing water to
new systems with this species, other echinoderms. Bob Fenner>
Brittle Star... rotting – 09/17/07
Uh oh.. I am starting to
worry again. I have attached some pics so you can see what is going
on with my "green monster" (that's what I call him ) I think he is
dying as he looks like he is rotting! What do you think?
Gilma
<Hmm, read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/brittlestardisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. BobF> |
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Green brittle star...is it dead? 02/02/2008
I have a had green
brittle star for about a week. The middle is the size of a quarter. LFS
said it would be a good bottom cleaner. Parameters ok, temp 78. It ate a
piece of shrimp from my hand last night. After it ate the shrimp it
crawled on top on of a boat decoration and today when I went to check my
parameters I bumped the boat and the star fell off in the same position
that it was in on the boat. It is rather stiff. I placed it on my live
rock as that is where it has preferred to hide. I am watching for
movement but I am seeing none. It has never really moved much that I
have seen but I do not think that it should be stiff like this should
it? Any help would be great. Thanks.
<<For all intents and purposes,
I would class this as dead.. Yes, they are not a big mover in the
aquarium, however, being knocked of a perch like that, I would certainly
expect a reaction from it. Sorry confirm your thoughts.>>
Jessica
<<Thanks for the question. A Nixon>>
Green Brittle Star…Sick Or Reproducing? – 04/1/08
I have had a
green brittle star for 9 months in a 120 gallon tank. It has been
healthy & grown well!
<<Mmm… Ophiarachna incrassata? Can indeed get
large…and is known to ambush and eat fish>>
Without any indication of
being sick, in a matter of less than 24 hours, it rubbed itself against
a rough piece of live rock & sawed itself into 4 pieces (all but one
have a chunk of the body on it).
<<You actually saw this? Strange…>>
How can you tell if it did this because it is sick or reproducing?
<<Don’t know that you can…though this seems extreme for reproductive
behavior>>
What are the chances any of the pieces will survive?
<<Not uncommon for those pieces with bits of the oral disc attached to
grow in to/become whole animals again…in the wild. Not so much…in
captivity>>
All four are moving about the tank with ease.
<<About
all you can do is keep an eye on them…remove if they ”die” and begin to
decompose>>
Thanks for your advice.
Kristie
<<Happy to share.
EricR>>
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