Hitchhicker star id

jphayes921 · 11/14/2017, 05:45 PM

I just picked up a small clump of chaeto and just checking out my sump and seen this guy. Anyone got an ID? Keep in sump?

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ROB2005 · 11/14/2017, 05:51 PM

Asterina star. Hit or miss with those guys, harmless and also known to eat corals, best kept in sump if you desire to keep him.

mcgyvr · 11/14/2017, 06:05 PM

And many of us have hundreds of them in our tanks minding their own business not bothering the corals at all..
Harmless IMO...

jphayes921 · 11/14/2017, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROB2005

Asterina star. Known to eat corals, best kept in sump if you desire to keep him.

Thanks. After a little investigation I found someone with same post. Looks like I have two. I'll keep in sump. No coral as of today. Still a new tank. Only a month or so old.

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ROB2005 · 11/14/2017, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

And many of us have hundreds of them in our tanks minding their own business not bothering the corals at all..
Harmless IMO...

Just spoke from experience, fixed my post though

thegrun · 11/14/2017, 06:28 PM

If there are coral eating species I've never seen them, and I've had them in virtually every tank I've owned. They get a bad rap because they will eat dead and decaying corals, so if a reefer has a coral that is dying and the Asterina Starfish is simply cleaning things up it gets blamed for the dead coral. The only complaint I have about them is their populations can get fairly large so they are annoying to look at on the glass.

TDB · 11/14/2017, 09:25 PM

Many of these in my reef but never seen them on my corals. Always on my glass

ZenGuitarGuy · 11/14/2017, 10:01 PM

Yeah, I have several. I think my hermit crabs may snack on them.

jphayes921 · 11/14/2017, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenGuitarGuy

Yeah, I have several. I think my hermit crabs may snack on them.

Well no crabs in the sump so these two are safe for now. I like the hitch hikers for now. Makes it interesting. Snail has something on his back and there is a brittle star somewhere in the dt. I love just playing wheres Waldo in the tank.

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Frost_Hydra · 11/14/2017, 10:27 PM

I had 3 pop up 5 months after my tank was set up. Now about another 5 months later, I havent seen a single one

crawlerman · 11/15/2017, 09:32 AM

I know they are harmless, but my tank is infested with them. I have well over 1000. I tried a harlequin shrimp, but my molanarus wrasse seems to have eaten him. They multiply fast and I would think they would multiply in the sump and spread to the display.

timnem70 · 11/15/2017, 08:03 PM

I have hundreds. Never ate Any Coral.

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11/14/2017, 05:45 PM	#1
jphayes921 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Linden, MI Posts: 53	Hitchhicker star id I just picked up a small clump of chaeto and just checking out my sump and seen this guy. Anyone got an ID? Keep in sump? Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

11/14/2017, 05:51 PM	#2
ROB2005 Reefing Is My Passion! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 719	Asterina star. Hit or miss with those guys, harmless and also known to eat corals, best kept in sump if you desire to keep him. __________________ If at first you don't succeed at reefing, break it down and set back up😁 Current Tank Info: 75 gallon corner overflow, 4-54W T-5 , dozen blue hermits, tiger pistol/yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, banghai and pajama cardinals Last edited by ROB2005; 11/14/2017 at 06:16 PM.

11/14/2017, 06:05 PM	#3
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	And many of us have hundreds of them in our tanks minding their own business not bothering the corals at all.. Harmless IMO... __________________ Who me?

11/14/2017, 09:25 PM	#7
TDB Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Hockley TX Posts: 73	Many of these in my reef but never seen them on my corals. Always on my glass __________________ 100 gallon mixed reef show tank Started 1-1-17 40 gallon cube all in one mixed reef tank 2-12-16

11/14/2017, 06:28 PM	#6
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	If there are coral eating species I've never seen them, and I've had them in virtually every tank I've owned. They get a bad rap because they will eat dead and decaying corals, so if a reefer has a coral that is dying and the Asterina Starfish is simply cleaning things up it gets blamed for the dead coral. The only complaint I have about them is their populations can get fairly large so they are annoying to look at on the glass.

11/14/2017, 10:01 PM	#8
ZenGuitarGuy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: London, ON, Canada Posts: 145	Yeah, I have several. I think my hermit crabs may snack on them.

11/14/2017, 10:27 PM	#10
Frost_Hydra Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 151	I had 3 pop up 5 months after my tank was set up. Now about another 5 months later, I havent seen a single one

11/15/2017, 09:32 AM	#11
crawlerman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 503	I know they are harmless, but my tank is infested with them. I have well over 1000. I tried a harlequin shrimp, but my molanarus wrasse seems to have eaten him. They multiply fast and I would think they would multiply in the sump and spread to the display.

11/15/2017, 08:03 PM	#12
timnem70 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 462	I have hundreds. Never ate Any Coral. Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk