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View Full Version : Major brittle star outbreak?

funman1
05/28/2006, 11:16 PM
I have hundereds of tiny 5 legged white brittle stars ALL over the tank..
Is this normal?

I've never had a single brittle star before so they all must have been hitch hikers or something, the tank is about 3 months old.

I know brittles are good for the tank cause they sift sand and are general clean up so no worries there, and I'm sure when they get big enough I can sell them, I just thought it was crazy..
bertoni
05/28/2006, 11:25 PM
They are probably full-sized adults already. They might have been feeding off detritus from the live rock, and reproduced well. I'd expect them to diminish in numbers over time.
dous
05/28/2006, 11:29 PM
that's cool.. did you see any brittle starts at all before when you first got your rocks or they just started appearing after 3 months?
reefnetworth
05/28/2006, 11:29 PM
they are not brittle stars. they are hydriod jellies. (jellyfish) pretty much harmless. they are hitch hickers non the less. they will be eaten or die off i a matter of weeks. i woke up one morning to thousands on my glass and watched them get eaten by my 6-line wrasse and coral beauty. they are harmless and want get any bigger than they are now. hate to disapoint you but thats what they are. REEF-ON!!!
funman1
05/28/2006, 11:31 PM
every once and a while, I would see a small arm waving out of a rock, but never saw a body.

I threw in some cheato from the LFS and they all came out and are hanging in the cheato by the hundreds. Now I can see the full body with all the arms.

So these won't get any bigger??
They look just link the ones in the store only minaturized??
funman1
05/28/2006, 11:36 PM
Nano4brains, nope sorry they are definately brittle stars..
Here is an EXACT match from a pic at Melevs

http://melevsreef.com/id/babybrittles.jpg
CrystalAZ
05/29/2006, 03:13 AM
They won't get any bigger. I have thousands and they are nothing but beneficial. Congrats on a good addition to your clean up crew.

Crystal
sage1970
05/29/2006, 11:40 AM
I just love my little guys...They are just so cute. And the big ones kinda freak me out! LOL

They are great for stirring up the substrate in your tank. And for eating the "uggies" (LOL) on the bottom of the tank.