Mini brittle starfish are small invertebrates that have a strong hunger for any piece of food in their sight. Their senses are heightened when it comes to looking for food in any form and they can locate food anywhere in their vicinity.
You will see that the mini brittle starfish are flexible to a great extent and this abilit1y enables them to gather and take in even the smallest amount of organic leftovers they can find in the seabed. Although they have a predatory nature, they will always be respectful of the inhabitants in the places around them.
Despite their predatory nature, they’re an invaluable and indispensable part of any aquatic habitat. So, here is our rundown on all the tips you need to know for mini brittle starfish care.
What Are Mini Brittle Starfish?
Mini brittle starfish, like serpent starfish, play an essential part in sustaining the hygiene of most saltwater habitats. They are reef-safe starfish and will spend most of their time eating and living off the debris and waste food particles that will find anywhere in the tank.
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To put it simply, the mini brittle starfish are invertebrates that participate actively in sexual reproduction. Their simply resolved and developed invertebrates help them to reproduce in both sexual and asexual manner which is an attribute unique to the mini brittle starfish.
If the starfish happens to lose one of its reproductive parts, it can easily regenerate new ones in no time. Their reproduction takes its peak in a season where they have ample amounts of food. This causes them to have a season full of mass spawning.
Caring For A Mini Brittle Starfish
Mini brittle starfish are easy to take care of. All you need is good food, plenty of water supplies, a clean and healthy aquarium, and of course a stable level in the aquarium itself. Starfish are generally sensitive to any changes in pH or oxygen levels so that is something you need to be mindful of.
You should certainly rule out the possibility of putting your starfish in a tank where one cycle is already being carried out as it could highly disturb the starfish itself. In addition to that, you should keep in mind that starfish generally cannot stand any copper-based treatments, so be wary of them.
Be sure to check that the water is cleaned out and changed regularly per schedule. This will help to eradicate additional nitrates within the reef tank itself. This is because starfish prefer that their environment is low in nitrate levels.
Adjusting the Acclimation
One thing of importance you need to note is the acclimation level. So it’s always better that you acclimate the mini brittle starfish to the climate of the aquarium as any major or sudden change can be harmful to the starfish itself. So, the acclimation period should be observed with utmost patience.
A note that you must keep in mind is the fact that you must not take out the starfish directly into the air. This will shock the starfish immediately and is one of the leading causes behind how and why starfish lose their legs.
In certain cases, the slow drip acclimation technique works the best. For that, you will need a small container that consists of a part of airline tubing. Then place the starfish in the container with the water in its habitat and then create Siphon Bridge from the reef tank/aquarium with the airline tubing itself.
Now, press down and hold the tubing through the use of a knot and let the water from the reef tank slowly disperse into the aquarium water that the starfish is accustomed to. Now, let the process go on till there is at least 3 to 4 times the amount of water that you originally had in the container.
After this, you place the fish directly into the reef tank or maybe isolate it for some time if you’re unsure about the breeding nature of the fish.
Tank Conditions and Water Requirements
Mini brittle starfish care is no different from regular brittle starfish care. These species usually adapt pretty well into new water climates and tend to do well. However, here are some tips that will come in handy while performing the whole process.
- Do not ever add them to a tank environment that has not been cycled yet. You need slowly ease into the established tank which will have a stable level of pH, temperature, and of course salinity.
- We recommend that you look for a tank that has a capacity of 15 to 20 gallons to ensure that the space is sufficient. This is because they require a lot of space to roam around and hide in. Therefore, a large tank will be needed to house as many creatures as possible.
- For mini brittle starfish, the perfect water temperature ranges from 70°F – 79°C and the recommended pH levels of 8.1 to 8.4. For the hardness of the water itself, the range of 8 to 12 dkH works just fine.
- The mini brittle starfish do not have any specific lighting requirements – less is more. They prefer to have a dark and dim mood over a bright one.
- Make sure that the tank itself has enough hiding spots as it encourages physical activities and helps the starfish grow accustomed to the environment inside the tank.
- We suggest that you keep a close check on the ecosystem balance to make that the spawning process does not get too out of hand.
- Again, mentioned earlier, any copper-based treatment is a big no for a tank that houses mini brittle starfish.
Conclusion
Mini brittle starfish care is something that everyone needs to be aware of when taking up aquarium keeping as a hobby. Being aware of the needs and requirements of your aquarium inhabitants is what helps to create a sustainable environment.
We hope that our article helped to guide you about how you can take care of your mini brittle starfish and make sure they have a healthy and fulfilled experience. Good luck!