Mini Sea Stars

[NavyNano212]

I have had my tank now right at two years. It is an established 24G Nano(as some who have helped me out on here know!)which currently is running great. I have some new corals that are flourishing including a brilliant Chili Coral I picked up at the new store in Astoria(which is pretty awesome). He is absolutely cool!!
Anyway, recently I have been seeing more and more "mini" sea stars. Not Astrea's, but 5 legged sea stars. Until last night, they were very small, but last night I found one crawling on the glass which was almost an inch!! My questions...1) Are these common? 2) will they grow up into larger ones if they survive being eaten. Most of them are in old snail shells or something to protect them.
Also, I have several baby Nas snails in my refugium!! I was excited!!

Thanks and happy reefing!

 

[Aguasalada]

put up some pics so we can see. I bought some LR yesterday and just discovered a little star. I hope that it survives. Good luck with yours. here is mine (a little to the right of the barnacle, its actually on the glass, not on the rock):

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/gallery/files/3/7/4/5/aquascape2.jpg

 

[rookie07]

I have dozens of mini brittle stars in my tank...they came in on a big rock I bought....they seem ok, and Ive been told they are ok(althought they will eventually grow big), and once they are big, they can prey on small sleeping fish.

 

[NavyNano212]

Really

Yes, brittle stars can be very aggressive(especially the green ones). Currently I have a grey sea star(with smooth legs, not the "prickly ones" like the brittles have. He is very cool and doesn't attack anything, unless it is dead already. He has a habit of swallow the molted shells of my porcelain crabs for a day or so.
If the babes are brittle I would trade them or give them away when/if they get bigger.

 

[NavyNano212]

it is very cute...but it looks like an astrea star, not a sea star. They are harmless and harley's love them if you plan on getting any. I will post some of my pics to show you what I have.

Thanks

 

[KathyC]

Folks...you are taking about different kinds of starfish here...

Navy Nano..not sure what yours is without a pic but I'd venture a guess it's a micro brittle star..look at this pic..you can only see the legs sticking out all over the place (this group was spawning when I took the pic..)

These guys do NOT grow up into big starfish..they max out around 1" - 1 1/2".

Aqualalada..you are taking about an asterina star (astreas are snails )
and if I were you I would take it out of the tank and dispose of it.
I am usually not a heartless person..but I will be posting a thread shortly regarding starfish and you will understand why then...
and BTW- they multiple VERY fast..you'll have them all over your tank before you know it.

Hope that helps!

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Dispose of = FREEZE IT then throw it in the garbage. Please don't flush it or release it back into the wild.

 

[KathyC]

Dispose of = FREEZE IT then throw it in the garbage. Please don't flush it or release it back into the wild.

Btw..Chief is talking about the asterina star that Aguasalada has..not the ones Navy Nano has which are good little stars as they stay small and they love to eat detritus

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I am talking about any pest you find in your tank. Flushing or releasing is bad. Especially things like asterinas that can reproduce asexually and also can take a wide range of water differences. They can have a negative impact on local environments.

 

[KathyC]

I am talking about any pest you find in your tank. Flushing or releasing is bad. Especially things like asterinas that can reproduce asexually and also can take a wide range of water differences. They can have a negative impact on local environments.

Agreed!!
Just didn't want Navy Nano killing off his (probably) good little starfish
But great advice when you have to dispose of a PEST!!!

Maybe you should start a thread & sticky it on disposal of unwanted pests?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I thought we had one of those Kath :scratchch

 

[NavyNano212]

Pics

I posted some pic of my tank critters under my profile. If you want to see the mini sea star, he is there(posted twice for some reason!)

thanks!

 

[Killerdrgn]

brittle star.

 

[al0ha]

get a pair of harlequin shrimps and they'll dispose of the starfish :scratchch:yeah:

 

[KathyC]

get a pair of harlequin shrimps and they'll dispose of the starfish :scratchch:yeah:

Why would he want to get rid of them - those are the good guys!

 

[al0ha]

oh i was referring to asterinas lol

 

[basiab]

Common Kathy, not all asterina stars are bad, just the type that you got last. In fact I would bet most are ok. Mine are.

 

[NavyNano212]

More

Found some new ones(much larger) on my rock of "recovering" green polyps! They came barreling out when I was feeding my tank last evening. Very cool.
So..Asterina Stars are good, bad...indifferent???? I do have several of those as well in my nano.