I got a starfish stow away

[Speakerman]

Well I got about all live rock I think my tank can handl...About 50 lbs for my 37 gallon tank.

I guess it came with the live rock, idk...but yesterday I saw a star shaped dude on one of the new rocks, but it was missing some limbs (it only had 3) so I couldn't quite tell if it was alive or not...But today it is gone lol...so I guess it can move around just fine...It's about half an inch in diameter...If I see it again I will post a pic.

It's kind of a flat loooking star, beige in color.

 

[Hara]

sounds like an asterina star..

http://www.fantasyreef.com/database/index.php?p=getitem&db_id=1&item_id=15

 

[melosu58]

I call them micro stars but Mrs Hara is right in her description. Before long you will have hundreds in your tank. You talked about the legs, they will drop them to reproduce.

 

[Speakerman]

That looks about like what it is.

Are they a threat? I don't have any coral as of now, I'm not even close to finishing my cycle...

And If they eat diatoms I might like them. I'll probobly have lots of diatoms in my tank. Tap water...

 

[clubsuperduty]

Well when You help me set up my chicks tank I am going to have to get some from you she wants a star so bad in her clown tank.

 

[afishyonados]

There are reports about the Asterina sp. eating corals, but I have never witnessed it. They are primarily detritovore/bacteriovores. I have recieved shipments with damaged corals (perfect conditions for cnidarian eaters!), and the stars were unimpressed, content to graze on the glass.

 

[angelscrx]

Get rid of it. Not good I had a ton of these and they spent some time around my corals. I did lose some corals while they were in there. I found some more in my new set up so I may get a harlequin shrimp to see if he can wipe them out. I have the little grey ones too.

 

[melosu58]

I`ve had hundreds of them and have never lost a coral yet not to say anything about angels post. It looks like he`s had problems where I have not.

 

[SeeDemTails]

Yes, some of the asterina stars can eat corals, mainly zoanthids from what I have read....I havent had any problems with mine, and I have chosen to leave them alone as long as they leave my coral alone....Diversity in a reef tank is excellent IMHO, the more the better!

www.zoaid.com has some good info on them as predators.

 

[Speakerman]

I think I am going to leave them in there. I really like the way they look and my girl friend really liks starfish. I will leave them alone untill they start causing problems.

How big do they get?

 

[melosu58]

Not big at all. I`ve never seen them bigger than a dime.

 

[clubsuperduty]

Well when they get the size of a dime I am comming over and hijacking some they are sweet.