Brittle Starfish (PIC)

hardiel · 05/30/2010, 10:45 PM

I went fishing my tank with my flashlight and I found half a dozen of these critters in the LR I bought a couple of months ago. They are mainly white with brownish stripes and long hairs and about the size of a quarter legs and all.

I've googled it but some say are not reef safe, etc. Now they are real small (scary looking tho) but does anybody know is they can be a problem later? Do they eat coralline?

Here's a pic.

Metal Man 1221 · 05/30/2010, 10:50 PM

yes they are mini brittle stars, they are very good scavengers, they do not eat coralline, and they are more reef safe than your corals

jasonm311 · 05/30/2010, 10:50 PM

As far as I know they should be safe.They are a great part of the clean up crew keeping your tank clean.

aquaph8 · 05/30/2010, 10:54 PM

You would be amazed how many you probably have. I've seen people over dose there tank and all the Brittles climb out of the rocks and die like a mass suicide.

hardiel · 05/30/2010, 11:26 PM

Thanks for your help.

My wife thinks I'm crazy with the tank lights off and with a flashlight sitting in a Instant Ocean bucket.

I've counting them and there are not less than 20 stars across the tank. They are all in LR I bought from a store that brings it from the Florida Keys. Hope they eat aiptasia. The ting is that no one has left the hole so far. They kind of want but when they see the light, they retract and try to get back (some don't fit).

Now I just caught the peppermint shrimp fighting with something in a hole in a rock and eating it. Who knows what that was.

jasonm311 · 05/30/2010, 11:30 PM

Always fun to look at a tank after the lights have been off for awhile

They won't eat aiptasia though sorry.

billdogg · 05/31/2010, 04:45 AM

If you put a red filter of some sort (cellophane works well) over your flashlight, it will not scare the nighttime critters back into hiding. Happy hunting!!!!!

and yes, very reef safe

expyman · 05/31/2010, 08:19 AM

I have thousands in my 400. They have been there for as long as i can remember. Never had issues. They also hang out in my macro in the fuge.

Onyx97 · 05/31/2010, 08:23 AM

I got a ball of Cheato that had 1 or 2 in it and a couple months later i have them all in my Live Rock. When food hits the water you can see all of these legs sticking out of the holed trying to catch something to eat. Prety cool if you ask me.

Sean41 · 05/31/2010, 08:56 AM

I posted a thread with a couple of pics last night and I think I might have a little of the same thing going on. I have only seen the legs and they are about 1.5 to 2 inches long. Take a look at these for confirmationDSC05053.jpg

possible brittle.jpg

hardiel · 05/31/2010, 09:19 AM

yep. we have the same thing. your pics are much better. white legs with tan stripes and white hairs.

they came with my live rock.

Sean41 · 05/31/2010, 09:31 AM

Picked some up on the way home from Dania beach

hardiel · 05/31/2010, 09:47 AM

Yes. somewhere on us1. we got the rock in the same place. he said he brings it from Isla Morada.

I have the rock in both of my tanks. Not much coralline but a lot of macroalgae and life in them. It's funny 'cause he started @$2.50/lb and now he is selling it @ 6.00.

Congratulations

05/30/2010, 10:45 PM	#1
hardiel Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hollywood (FL) Posts: 44	Brittle Starfish (PIC) I went fishing my tank with my flashlight and I found half a dozen of these critters in the LR I bought a couple of months ago. They are mainly white with brownish stripes and long hairs and about the size of a quarter legs and all. I've googled it but some say are not reef safe, etc. Now they are real small (scary looking tho) but does anybody know is they can be a problem later? Do they eat coralline? Here's a pic.

05/30/2010, 10:50 PM	#2
Metal Man 1221 FMMAS Executive Director Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Fargo ND Posts: 1,504	yes they are mini brittle stars, they are very good scavengers, they do not eat coralline, and they are more reef safe than your corals __________________ "My advise is, always look at their aquarium before you take their advise. Because alot of people give advise and they havnt got a clue" ~David Saxby~ "Only after the last tree's cut and the last river poisoned only after the last fish is caught will you find that money cannot be eaten" ~Lamb of God~ Current Tank Info: 125g DT, 45g sump ---- 57g Illuminata, custom sump

05/30/2010, 10:54 PM	#4
aquaph8 Love The Fish Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 5,652	You would be amazed how many you probably have. I've seen people over dose there tank and all the Brittles climb out of the rocks and die like a mass suicide. __________________ Brett Current Tank Info: Leemar 60x36x24, 8x80 T5/LED Sfiligoi GENESIS Alpha 300 skimmer

05/31/2010, 04:45 AM	#7
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	If you put a red filter of some sort (cellophane works well) over your flashlight, it will not scare the nighttime critters back into hiding. Happy hunting!!!!! and yes, very reef safe __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

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05/30/2010, 10:50 PM	#3
jasonm311 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Wichita,Kansas Posts: 58	As far as I know they should be safe.They are a great part of the clean up crew keeping your tank clean.

05/30/2010, 11:26 PM	#5
hardiel Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hollywood (FL) Posts: 44	Thanks for your help. My wife thinks I'm crazy with the tank lights off and with a flashlight sitting in a Instant Ocean bucket. I've counting them and there are not less than 20 stars across the tank. They are all in LR I bought from a store that brings it from the Florida Keys. Hope they eat aiptasia. The ting is that no one has left the hole so far. They kind of want but when they see the light, they retract and try to get back (some don't fit). Now I just caught the peppermint shrimp fighting with something in a hole in a rock and eating it. Who knows what that was.

05/30/2010, 11:30 PM	#6
jasonm311 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Wichita,Kansas Posts: 58	Always fun to look at a tank after the lights have been off for awhile They won't eat aiptasia though sorry.

05/31/2010, 08:19 AM	#8
expyman Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: niagara falls Posts: 69	I have thousands in my 400. They have been there for as long as i can remember. Never had issues. They also hang out in my macro in the fuge.

05/31/2010, 08:23 AM	#9
Onyx97 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 134	I got a ball of Cheato that had 1 or 2 in it and a couple months later i have them all in my Live Rock. When food hits the water you can see all of these legs sticking out of the holed trying to catch something to eat. Prety cool if you ask me.

05/31/2010, 08:56 AM	#10
Sean41 Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sunrise, FL Posts: 51	I posted a thread with a couple of pics last night and I think I might have a little of the same thing going on. I have only seen the legs and they are about 1.5 to 2 inches long. Take a look at these for confirmationDSC05053.jpg possible brittle.jpg

05/31/2010, 09:19 AM	#11
hardiel Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hollywood (FL) Posts: 44	yep. we have the same thing. your pics are much better. white legs with tan stripes and white hairs. they came with my live rock.

05/31/2010, 09:31 AM	#12
Sean41 Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sunrise, FL Posts: 51	Picked some up on the way home from Dania beach

05/31/2010, 09:47 AM	#13
hardiel Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hollywood (FL) Posts: 44	Yes. somewhere on us1. we got the rock in the same place. he said he brings it from Isla Morada. I have the rock in both of my tanks. Not much coralline but a lot of macroalgae and life in them. It's funny 'cause he started @$2.50/lb and now he is selling it @ 6.00. Congratulations