Brittle star spawed!!!!!!!!
 

After coming back home today, I noticed that my brittle star pulled out the feather duster out of the substrate and was wrapping its legs around it :| I was like WTH!!! I was thinking of taking the star out because it was growing too big and too ugly for my tank and now I had the excuse to actually take it out. So tried to grab it but in the first attempt, a part of its leg came off :| Afterwards, I was able to pull it out of the tank. When I turned on the light to check whether everything is alright, I saw the whole tank filled with mucus :O I tried to clean it manually as much as I can but I am pretty sure there are some of those mucus left (very sticky). So I guess it spawned!

Now I am even more worried since I really don't want hundreds of these ugly stars in my tank :| What should I do? Do a big water change? I really don't want any more brittle star! The one I had didn't do anything to be honest :|

I'm. It sure how they reproduce, so I can't make any recommendations there.

A big water change would be in order, I think. Do you run carbon?

Three bags (regular carbon of aqua clear and two chemi pure). :p

Not sure their legs just pull off that easily, sounds more like it's dying and fouling the tank.

The pull was quite hard on the leg since it was attached itself to a rock. After pulling out the leg, the bugger showed its disk and I quickly grabbed it by the disk.

i have seen these things spawn... that doesn't sound like spawn. i even have it on video from when i worked at blueworld!! might have just been pooping.

I hope so. I really don't want these crawlers all over my aquarium :|

Could be dead too or dying, I know when they die they turn to goo pretty quick. Like a white bodily fluid looking goo ;) sick..

Well its out of my tank now so it won't be throwing any more of those yucky stuff :P Cause way too much trouble and my tank is a bit mess now. Couldn't fix it yesterday since it was late and had to come to university today so couldn't fix it either. Flows are messed up, torch is messed up (I had to shorten the skeleton since it was standing so tall that the flow hitting it was too hard) and the maxi-mini started to shift its place!!!! Man its such a mess thanks to the brittle star :@

I have hardly being able to enjoy the aquarium in the last 4months :'( and had to put in my hand almost every single day!!! Is it normal or I am just doing it wrong?

Normal! Always something to fidget with, move around, remove, reglue, catch....non stop. I have days like this too, hang in there, it gets better!

Thanks for the hope :)

I simply can't seem to get everything right (other than the water parameters which are all in check), particularly the flow! And the torch + the maxi mini seems to be the most sensitive ones.

Then stop fidgeting for a while. I find when I feel overwhelmed or frustrated, I leave the tanks alone, maintenance only. I also got panicky over everything, maybe still do to some degree...:mrgreen: Deal with whatever is going on in your tank when you can today, then leave it. I'm learning KISS is the best rule for everything and seeing positive things as a result!

I'd look at trying to get away from that :) I think I put my hand in the tank once in September, and that was just to grab a frag for someone. I enjoy it much more now compared to years past where I was always in the tank :razz:

My typical routine is wipe front glass when I get home from work, clean skimmer every weekend, water change every other Monday, and that's about it. Feed fish when I'm looking at tank.

Once you get it settled, you'll have to play in it much less, and look at it a lot more.

ive always told everyone simple is best, its like a garden if you keep tearing up the soil your plants arnt gonna grow.


im not in the tank unless i have to be.


ive never seen you post your parameters what are they??


salinity
temp
nitrate
phos
alk,calcium,magnesium
amonia

and what are you testing these with??

Salinity: 1.025 (refractometer)
Temp: (fixed) a bit higher than 78 but less than 79 (in-aqua thermo)
Nitrate: undetectable by API
Phos: undetectable by Seachem
Alk: starts with 12 and drops to 11 before doing water change (with API)
Calc: 420ppm (starts with 440ppm with new WC) (API)
Mag: Never measured this
Ammonia: undetectable by API

I don't dose anything, just do water change every weekend (sat/sun depending on the schedule of my other works).

It's so frustrating seeing something that needs a hand/adjustment in the aquarium and just leaving it alone :( Particularly the flow; I still can't get hold of it.

I just hope that time comes soon. I always feel like I am doing things the wrong way even when everything is all opened up and seems normal. It's like I can't even tolerate one small bit of food being left on the substrate without removing it. Maybe its just because of my keenness to perfection when it comes to the tank.

How long has your tank been running for? I'm sorry if you've posted this, but how big is the tank? What are you using for flow?

I found my 55 settled around the 9 month mark and is my favorite tank atm. My 180 is still driving me crazy, been set up since March this year. Tanks are really like babies in their first year, takes a long time for them to mature and that's what keeps me keep the 180 going, knowing at some point things will turn around.

Haha its ok :)

My tank is just a 20 long and it has been running for like close to 4 month.

I guess by the time this tank matured, I will hopefully get over with my graduation, get a job and upgrade the tank :P

I came home and to my great relief, everything is fine. The torch opened up a bit and I have decided not to glue to for now (let it recover for couple of days). The maxi mini didn't leave its position but has moved a bit toward the sand bed (looks better than before though). I will just do around 2/3 gallon of WC now. Great relief :)

Awesome. Now, either grab a beer and a chair and just sit and enjoy it, or go find something else to do and leave it alone!!!:lol:

Haha yah. But instead of beer, I got a pop (I don't drink, saves a lot of money for coral :lol:)