Found a brittle star in a new zoa frag...

[mrvincent]

I just owned a new zoa frag, and found some tentacles in it... I was afraid of hitckhikers, so I did two double dose Seachem Dip.

Then I found that thoses tentacles were a brittle star that was movingin the tank. It is very little and look like this one.

I gave it the chance to go hide before I take a decision about it...
Should I keep or it may become a parasite in my reef tank ?

- 2 clowns
- 1 peppermint
- 6 blue-leg hermits
- little brittle star.

Frogspawn, Hammer, birdsnest SPS, mush, zoa. It will be zoa dominated tank later. What's your opinion on this ?

 

[nelix10]

Nothing wrong with having a brittle star in your tank! It will help with the cuc, I have atleast 3 that I have seen in my tank!

 

[mrvincent]

Nothing wrong with having a brittle star in your tank! It will help with the cuc, I have atleast 3 that I have seen in my tank!

Do they need to be a pair for reproduction or it may reproduce alone ? I fear touching this thing a bit... Does the spines can do skin damage ? Do they bite or are toxic ?

It lost few parts of "legs" as I tried to initially remove it before I knew it was a brittle star with pincettes... Tought it were dip resistants worms...

 

[Kimlafeiet]

I have brittle stars in my tank. Several of them. They are all still tiny, and I have not had any issues. They came in with my live rock, and except for the occasional leg or two poking out of the rocks, I don't really see them.

 

[mrvincent]

Cool then, I'll wait it grow a bit and show his brittle tentacles. Thanks !

I didn't know they were iodine tolerant like that.

I did a double dose dip, and when I saw the tentacles in the zoa frag when it was in the tank, I dipped it again with triple dose double time. (20 min)

An hour after I saw the little brittle star "walking" hmm "moving" on the LR trying to find hiding place... I didn't know it was a little star...