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View Full Version : bad starfish???


illal
03/05/2007, 08:54 AM
ok for about the past 6 months ive noticed these tiny star fish almost look like a baby brittle stars and they always stick outa the holes in the rocks and dont seem to get any bigger....well ive been reading about all these coral eating star fish and was wondering if this may be what i have... btw to better describe them there really skinny and like i said look kinda like a brittle star and the size of a nickel....any one know if these are bad???

Sk8r
03/05/2007, 09:16 AM
No. Asterinas look like classic little stars, but often with a leg missing...which is how they reproduce. We're also having a debate in another thread as to whether they actually eat corals at all, or whether they're scavenging the calcium on the already dead---sort of like bristleworms get a bad rap for being ON the dead, when all they are is cleanup crew. We're not sure on the starfish yet. But we're inquiring of people who have them.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1062476

illal
03/05/2007, 09:19 AM
hmmm i have those as well...u think if when i see them if i caught it and throw it in the fuge itll be ok?

Sk8r
03/05/2007, 09:21 AM
Personally I think they're safe. Fuge is always a good bet for something you're dubious of, if you have a chance to catch it.

As to your others, they may be young brittle stars...or just a very small species. If, as they grow, you find they're darkish green, catch them and put them in your sump definitely: the green serpent stars aren't fish safe. If brown striped, they're ok.

illal
03/05/2007, 04:31 PM
yea ive heard of the green brittles but i think the ones i have are brown striped :)

oxkisses12ox
03/05/2007, 05:29 PM
oh i have like 5 in my tank and they dont harm a thing :) they are really cool looking IMO

scrmbld33
03/05/2007, 06:52 PM
ive got tons of the baby brittles, there harmless
http://melevsreef.com/id/babybrittles.html