ID help

Blue Reef 06 · 12/15/2018, 09:32 AM

I have a 125 gallon reef with live rock (and a good bit of algae at the moment) and noticed a small dime-sized starfish on the glass of my tank and then discovered several more throughout my tank. Most of these are buried in the algae. Any thoughts about what it could be and if it is ok to leave these guys alone or do I need to try to eradicate them?

Thanks!

Laura

garygonzales · 12/15/2018, 10:05 AM

they are baby serpent starfish..........they are good to keep

Crooked Reef · 12/15/2018, 10:54 AM

Micro brittle stars, good score and nothing you need to do about them. They clean up detritus and uneaten food in between and under your rocks so you may or may not notice they are there most of the time. I took down a 65 gallon once and found hundreds in the rockwork I didn’t know I had. Their population is self limiting on the available food source so their numbers will rise and fall throughout the life of your tank. They do have some predators, I believe halichores wrasses eat them.

https://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

Great link above for various hitchhikers you may get in your tank.

Blue Reef 06 · 12/15/2018, 08:44 PM

Thanks to you both!

tomreefer · 12/19/2018, 08:57 PM

I had them in my tank but I dont see them anymore..

12/15/2018, 10:54 AM	#3
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	Micro brittle stars, good score and nothing you need to do about them. They clean up detritus and uneaten food in between and under your rocks so you may or may not notice they are there most of the time. I took down a 65 gallon once and found hundreds in the rockwork I didn’t know I had. Their population is self limiting on the available food source so their numbers will rise and fall throughout the life of your tank. They do have some predators, I believe halichores wrasses eat them. https://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/ Great link above for various hitchhikers you may get in your tank. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

12/15/2018, 08:44 PM	#4
Blue Reef 06 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 55	Thanks to you both! __________________ 125g mixed reef

12/15/2018, 10:05 AM	#2
garygonzales Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: WEST ALLIS ,WI Posts: 922	they are baby serpent starfish..........they are good to keep

12/19/2018, 08:57 PM	#5
tomreefer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 767	I had them in my tank but I dont see them anymore..