ID Please?

mluntz · 02/04/2015, 10:35 AM

It looks like some kind of starfish, but I have never had a starfish before and have not added any LR in months. Sorry, the picture quality isn't that great.

oscarinw · 02/04/2015, 10:43 AM

Asterina star. Mostly considered a pest. They will reproduce incredibly fast via splitting. Yours appears to have 3 little guys somewhere. Some report it eating coraline and some say they don't cause harm. I had them. Removed them manually every time I saw one and don't have them anymore. It was like a 6 moth endeavor though...
Good luck

mluntz · 02/04/2015, 10:44 AM

Question is where did it come from. I haven't bought any coral or LR in months

pinnatus · 02/04/2015, 10:47 AM

They hide very well. Maybe has been there all along. Or smaller so that you didn't see it.
I remove them whenever I see one. Most are harmless but some have been known to eat corals.

mluntz · 02/04/2015, 11:46 AM

Question is now my wife loves it. Every time I tell her something won't work or needs to come out of the tank, she gives me that look! LOL

tmz · 02/04/2015, 12:34 PM

Cute but some can harm corals. usually zoanthids and soft corals ,IME.

billdogg · 02/04/2015, 03:07 PM

I've never had one bother a thing. If one tank gets too many, I'll spread them around my other systems. 99.9% beneficial detritavore IMO. I vote with the wife on this one. Leave them be.

julie180 · 02/04/2015, 03:12 PM

If you see it eating on a coral take it out. I have never had problems with them either.

3FordFamily · 02/04/2015, 03:18 PM

I have them and have never had any issues as well.

I do find that when my nitrates or phosphates spike they tend to spread much more quickly. I do also remove them when convenient or easy. More because I know how fast they propagate and know I probably will never eradicate them. I notice they like to eat nori off of my rubber band rock for tangs.

CoralOfDuty · 02/04/2015, 03:57 PM

wouldnt chance it. get rid of em before they overpopulate your tank and eat your zoos. then youll need a harlequin shrimp to decimate them.

GilliganReef · 02/04/2015, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mluntz

Question is now my wife loves it. Every time I tell her something won't work or needs to come out of the tank, she gives me that look! LOL

Oh I get that look when ever my wife picks a fish at the LFS. I always have to tell her fish too big for the tank or not reef safe. lol

CoralOfDuty · 02/04/2015, 04:40 PM

lol. my girl picks the craziest stuff and then gets mad at me as well. she seems to like frogfish, puffers, eels, lionfish, and anything that looks odd.

coralsnaked · 02/04/2015, 04:58 PM

Threy also eat acros. They will turn to the coral when the population reaches the tipping point. Cute I know, but bring home a Harlequin Shrimp and believe me the wife and kids will think it is the cutest thing ever. Just don't tell them why all the Asterinis are disappearing!

mcgyvr · 02/04/2015, 05:27 PM

all newbies should bookmark this..

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html
and in case the navigation isn't clear you click on the picture next to each category to see lots of examples..

02/04/2015, 10:44 AM	#3
mluntz Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Millersville, Md. Posts: 727	Question is where did it come from. I haven't bought any coral or LR in months __________________ 46 Gallon Bowfront, (1)Ocellaris Clownfish, (1)Carpenter wrasse, (1)Coral Beauty, (1)Kole Tang

02/04/2015, 10:47 AM	#4
pinnatus RIP Ludinano Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Posts: 1,572	They hide very well. Maybe has been there all along. Or smaller so that you didn't see it. I remove them whenever I see one. Most are harmless but some have been known to eat corals. __________________ - Ken Current Tank Info: 240 gal Fish-Only, 13-gal w/ clowns

02/04/2015, 11:46 AM	#5
mluntz Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Millersville, Md. Posts: 727	Question is now my wife loves it. Every time I tell her something won't work or needs to come out of the tank, she gives me that look! LOL __________________ 46 Gallon Bowfront, (1)Ocellaris Clownfish, (1)Carpenter wrasse, (1)Coral Beauty, (1)Kole Tang

02/04/2015, 12:34 PM	#6
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Cute but some can harm corals. usually zoanthids and soft corals ,IME. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

02/04/2015, 03:07 PM	#7
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	I've never had one bother a thing. If one tank gets too many, I'll spread them around my other systems. 99.9% beneficial detritavore IMO. I vote with the wife on this one. Leave them be. __________________ 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

02/04/2015, 10:43 AM	#2
oscarinw Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Western Massachusetts Posts: 1,091	Asterina star. Mostly considered a pest. They will reproduce incredibly fast via splitting. Yours appears to have 3 little guys somewhere. Some report it eating coraline and some say they don't cause harm. I had them. Removed them manually every time I saw one and don't have them anymore. It was like a 6 moth endeavor though... Good luck

02/04/2015, 03:12 PM	#8
julie180 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Raymore, MO Posts: 2,556	If you see it eating on a coral take it out. I have never had problems with them either.

02/04/2015, 03:18 PM	#9
3FordFamily Registered Member. Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Fishers, Indiana (Indianapolis suburb) Posts: 488	I have them and have never had any issues as well. I do find that when my nitrates or phosphates spike they tend to spread much more quickly. I do also remove them when convenient or easy. More because I know how fast they propagate and know I probably will never eradicate them. I notice they like to eat nori off of my rubber band rock for tangs.

02/04/2015, 03:57 PM	#10
CoralOfDuty Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Suffolk County NY Posts: 110	wouldnt chance it. get rid of em before they overpopulate your tank and eat your zoos. then youll need a harlequin shrimp to decimate them.

02/04/2015, 04:40 PM	#12
CoralOfDuty Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Suffolk County NY Posts: 110	lol. my girl picks the craziest stuff and then gets mad at me as well. she seems to like frogfish, puffers, eels, lionfish, and anything that looks odd.

02/04/2015, 04:58 PM	#13
coralsnaked Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin / Port Aransas, TX Posts: 1,479	Threy also eat acros. They will turn to the coral when the population reaches the tipping point. Cute I know, but bring home a Harlequin Shrimp and believe me the wife and kids will think it is the cutest thing ever. Just don't tell them why all the Asterinis are disappearing! __________________ Merry Skerry Current Tank Info: 1 G Nano jellyfish to 1200 G Bull Nose FOWLR featuring large Holacanthus and Pomacanthus

02/04/2015, 05:27 PM	#14
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	all newbies should bookmark this.. http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html and in case the navigation isn't clear you click on the picture next to each category to see lots of examples..