Today was fun!!!

[floridaboy704]

My family and I went out to eat today and on the way home I convinced my mom to stop by the LFS with me. She knows how long I have been wanting a 6 line so she caved. I ended up getting one that had been a little banged up by a tank move at my LFS, and he had almost completely healed over the last week so I got him!!!! Even got him at a good discount to boot! The owner of the LFS gave him to me for 15 bucks. *does silly white boy dance*
After acclimating and releasing it, it made for my in tank cheato box and stayed there for a couple of hours. He was very understandably unshure of his new home. Tank, my clown was soooo interested in him and seemed like he was happy to have a tank mate and swam around the cheato fuge where the new 6 line was hiding out, almost as if asking him to come out and play. Well after the daylights went off and the actinics were the only thing on, the 6 line left the cheato box and started exploring. He cruised the LR till the actinics went off. He found a sleeping hole in one of my huge LR pieces right in front of the glass! Im not sure if its good or not but it looked like they secrete a slime when they are sleeping... maybe it helps keep predators away or something. I cant wait to see him cruise my tank tomorrow and munch on some pods and hopefully some flatworms. Im so excited!!! :thumbs:

And now the last suprise..... As the owner of the LFS was catching the 6 line, my mom spotted something that she just had to have for my tank. She wouldnt let me come near till it was bagged. My 14 year old nephew was with us and all i heard was Nanny!!! (what he calls my mom) We have to name him Earl! I was like WTF are you naming Earl??? I look in the bag and she has a serpent star!! He looked big but I shrugged it off and was just happy about my wrasse. I know that serpents can be predatory. Well after drip acclimating him for a good while, I opened the bag and let him out. HOLY ST MARY OF MUNKY A$$ES!!!!! When he streched out, he had to be 7 inches from tip to tip!!!! I yelled at my mom and said Mom!!!!! Look how big this thing is!!!! She didnt even realise he was that large. In the back of my mind I thought oh great, there go my pepps!! Well, I grabbed my book (Marine Invertebrates by Ronald L. Shimek) and looked it up. Turns out that its a spiny black brittle star, Ophiocoma spp. I read all about him and it turns out they are reef safe. I breathed a sigh of relief, but decided to keep and eye (and my flashlight) on him tonight to see how things go. Hes absolutely gorgeous with his spines and black body. The tips of his arms are blood red. Beautiful guy. Well, just a few min ago I decided to do a tank check with the trusty flashlight and I almost needed a xanax too!! I seen a pepp in his arms and he was looking happy!! Well I searched for a min with my flashlight and found both shrimp accounted for. Turns out he was eating a molt from one of the pepps. :doh: For the last couple of hours the serpent and the pepps have been staying in the same area with no problems. I did decide to go back to the LFS tomorrow and get some freeze dried krill to keep him fat and sassy and not snacking on my pepps.

Sounds like I have fun times ahead LMAO.

Do any of you have large serpents in your reefs?? I have tons of micro serpents but this is the first big poppa i have ever kept. THANKS MOM!!!!

 

[msnajkowski]

As long as the star is not green you should be fine. I have had a HUGE red/black brittle star in my tank for well over a year with no issues. The green ones are predatory.

 

[floridaboy704]

No, hes not green. My LFS has one of the giant green serpents, its freakishly huge, and its in his reef where he sells his corals from. Mine is absolutely awesome. I hope he does well.

 

[floridaboy704]

Just an update on the sixline.... today he has been cruising the tank looking for pods. He must have put the fear of wrasse into them because even I cant see a single one in the tank today. Before the wrasse arrived, the tank was covered in them, they were out in the open not afraid of anything. I have seen him eat a few of the flatworms. Its very funny because when he eats one he puffs up his fins and shivers :lol2: its almost like he took a shot of vodka or Baccardi 151. He even took some frozen brine when I fed Tank this morning. Im guessing thats a good sign. Hes always cruising the rockwork looking for another snack. It seems like he has also put my hermits in line, they seem to be minding their manners better. They shoot up into their shells if he gets too close. Hes left the shrimp alone and the hermits so far, hasnt picked at anything but pods and flatworms.

Now that hes out in the open more, I can see that he still has some damage from the LFS. He looks 100 percent better than he did last week in the LFS though. Last week one of his eyes was cloudy and he had lots of damage to his body. Now the eyes are clear and he only has 2 white spots on his body that looks like missing scales. (not ick) Great little guy!!!!!!!