are too many brittle stars bad

[kwandrsn]

I have one huge brittle star. He actually just moved I would have loved to see his whole body. His arms are at least 3 inches.

But I have tons of babies. I have sets of legs coming out of almost every rock lol. They are mostly white but the ones that are getting bigger are developing strips and you can start to see the "hairy legs"
At first I thought maybe little worms but now I know what they are.

Do they really reproduce this fast? And is it going to be a problem?

Also is there a way to lure them out of the rocks? I would like to see this big guy all spread out lol

I'll take a better pic tomorrow he moved sometime this evening he was in the side of the rock now he is on the top. Should I worry that he moved or do they do that?

Here is a old pic




New one



Here is the babies that have spread to all my rocks hard to see but they are scared of the dark.






Do I need to feed them anything special to make sure they stay alive or will they eat leftover food

 

[Wy Renegade]

Brittle stars are a great part of the CUC, and are very beneficial to have. Most likely what you have are not babies, but rather a different variety of brittles stars known as microstars. They are detrivores and will find their food in the leftovers and debris in your system. You can usually tempt a larger specimen into the open by offering it a particularly tasty morsel of food, but for the most part they are typically active at night rather than during the day.

 

[kwandrsn]

Brittle stars are a great part of the CUC, and are very beneficial to have. Most likely what you have are not babies, but rather a different variety of brittles stars known as microstars. They are detrivores and will find their food in the leftovers and debris in your system. You can usually tempt a larger specimen into the open by offering it a particularly tasty morsel of food, but for the most part they are typically active at night rather than during the day.

Ok I have one large one that is about the size of my hand. Its legs are about 3 inches long. He, always stayed in the rock on the aside now he has moved to the top. I didn't know there were different types. The other ones range from 1/2 to 1 inch leg length but I have not seen any of them outside the rock all I have ever seen is legs

 

[kwandrsn]

Purple leafy stuff?

 

[Wy Renegade]

Ok I have one large one that is about the size of my hand. Its legs are about 3 inches long. He, always stayed in the rock on the aside now he has moved to the top. I didn't know there were different types. The other ones range from 1/2 to 1 inch leg length but I have not seen any of them outside the rock all I have ever seen is legs

Pretty common behavior for microstars. Usually a survey of your sandbed and/or sump will also turn up a population

Purple leafy stuff?


View attachment 151766

Looks like a red algae, unfortantely I can't tell you which one.

 

[kwandrsn]

It is thin leafs almost looks like a plant

 

[Wy Renegade]

It is thin leafs almost looks like a plant

Definitely a red macro algae, but beyond that, hard to say.

 

[kwandrsn]

Definitely a red macro algae, but beyond that, hard to say.

Macro algae bad or good?

 

[Sniperhank]

Reminds me of dragon's breath or a red ulva. Macro algae's are good to have, usually kept in a refugium to help with nutrient export. The soft "leafy" macro algaes like that are loved by herbavores and are usually consumed quickly.

 

[kwandrsn]

lfs said the white tentacles are a type of anemone and not mini brittle stars ? Also told me the snowflake looking things all over my glass are not hydroids but a type is sea star :-(

 

[Sniperhank]

I don't see a single thing that looks like an anemone in your pictures. There is a chance that you have some starfish on your glass, but they look just like stereotypical starfish...just small.

 

[kwandrsn]

The white things come out of holes and feel around at night and they are usually several in a group kinda like my brittle star. As for the glass they are not stars I seen pictures of hydroid and that is, what I have