Need help settling debate with wife

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fijiwigi

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Sep 28, 2007
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Ok I showed my Wife the photo of the Brittle starfish I found in my tank she absolutely does not believe that it is possible since I did not purchase one she doesn't see how it could just appear. I Saw it cruising around with my own 2 eyes now its buried in my refugium and we can not see it. She understands how a plant can show up but not a starfish. here is a picrefugium contents 009.jpg


So what is the scientific explanation of how this particular starfish was born inside my refugium so that I can settle this debate with my wife she does not believe it to be possible and thinks I am crazy.
 
It's a hitchhiker. :)
If you bought live rock or live rubble it could have been jammed in the nooks and crannies. Where did your chaeto come from? Unless you inspected it with a magnifying glass when you bought it, it could have come in with that. If you bought live sand from your lfs, it could have been in there.
 
But I haven't added live rock to my tank since november and have never seen any life come from it I also scrubbed my live rock down really well. My chaeto was sent to me in february and have not seen anything come from it it would of had to be microscopic. Wouldn't I see a Brittle starfish I mean how small are they when they are first hatched like a flea Do they hatch. How is it born do starfishes mate. I want all the details. I am a curious mind
 
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No doubt about it...it came in on the LR. I have found several that size in my pico after months of it being up and running.
 
they could come on some frags you got also. I got at least 3 on the frags that I purchase and on trades. They are really small at first, I believe that they are whitish also when small. They don't get their dark color until they get a bit bigger.
 
This is a wanted hitch hiker. They usually come out at night and stay deep in the rock. Could have been to small or to scared or could now be stressed from something and looking for greener grass or better conditions or even hungry looking for food.
You will see stuff come and go.

At night 4 hours or so after lights out use a flash light and add a few pellets near some holes on LR and whatch the eyes glow. Also many night critters are hard to see so take time and look at anything that looks off.
Then useing a red light works better but i find that after time they get used to regular flash light light.
Aslo good to look at night as some unwated citters like crabs and snails come out at night only.
 
My tank has been up nearly 2 years. I'm STILL finding things I've never seen. Our tanks are not static things. As we add corals, we add hitchikers. Anytime we add ANYTHING... we add hitchikers. You probably got the brittle star from MsBeanCtr! I know I got most of the brittle stars that are now in my tank from my Torch Coral.

In addition to corals, the porosity of live rock allows tons of stuff to come in with them too. I got my live rock from Premium Aquatics in Ohio. Airfreighted the stuff to my local airport. It'd been out of water for 18 hours when I started aquascaping. In the process of "reshaping" one of the rocks, I busted it open with a hammer. In one of the spots along the fracture of the rock, I busted through a tunnel and it looked like a worm or some sort was in it. I poked at it with a ziptie thinking it was dead. It moved. I freaked. I was totally amazed that this thing could still be alive after being out of water and being subjected to air cargo hold temps.

So I side with you... things will be "appearing" in your tank for months... years. Things you never realized you bought. And they will multiply. And just as suddenly they'll disappear - just to be replaced by some new wave of hitchikers. It's the aspect of this hobby I never realized would be so interesting.

And when did she become your wife?
 
And when did she become your wife?
Actually I am still trying to chew on that one. I get married July 12th less than a month away I am just trying to get used to saying the word wife. LOL

Its just crazy to me that a little spec can grow into a creature hopefully I don't have an octopuss take over my tank as time goes on. LOL
 
You need to pay attention.Theres coral eating crabs and zoos you wont see for months even if you have one.
I kept hearing a tapping in my tank and after ruleing out a mantis or pistol it still took over 1 yr to spothim. IT was a crab that was bothering my zoos. The tapping was him enlarging the spot in the LR he called home.

# or 4 yrs later you will be learning something. This isnt a setup and forget hobby. This tank will take an understanding of why things are needed and there cause and effect. Like flow m if donr worng it could take over 1 yr to see any ill effects and if you dont know this then you will buy this or that and still wonder why you have this problem. THeres no one way to fix a problem but a miz of things in harmony you want.

Or just send my your money and ill keep showing pics of how it could be. J/K.
Sometimes its hard to get this point across.
Learn the bascis and why there needed and it will be alot less expensive and dissoppointing.
 
You need to pay attention.Theres coral eating crabs and zoos you wont see for months even if you have one.
.
This is a good point I usually pay close attention to my tank although at night though I find it difficult to spot anything.I Haven't seen anything when pointing a flashlight in. I need to get my LED moonlights fixed so there is some night lighting and then maybe I will sea the creatures of the Black Lagoon :clown:
 
FWIW I didn't have any idea that I had these for several months until my daughter pointed one out.

Now that I have that wonderful sump set up (that you gave me) I'm seeing tons of mini stars in my chaeto (that you also gave me).
 
FWIW I didn't have any idea that I had these for several months until my daughter pointed one out.

Now that I have that wonderful sump set up (that you gave me) I'm seeing tons of mini stars in my chaeto (that you also gave me).
Maybe it all came frome the frogspawn that you gave me. LOL
 
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