quick help if possible

[Dyami]

I just got a new sump pump last night because all I had was a maxijet 1200 so I got a new via aqua 2300 any way, I made my wet dry systems out of lava rock and I had a ton of red sediment from it in the sump...oops forgot to rinse.

The question is though I drained it out to clean out the sediment before starting to new pump and plumbing and I found a star. I will try to find a picture later of the one I saw, but should I leave it in the sump or move it to the main tank. It isn't very big and it had to be a hitchhiker from live rock. But I didn't know if I ought to move it up to the main tank instead of leaving it in the sump. even with it's very thin stringy arms it is smaller than a dime.

thanks in advance

 

[Dyami]

This I think

I have been moved. hehe....

Ok here is a link to what I think it is

Saltwater Aquarium Inverts for Marine Reef Aquariums: Brittle Sea Star, Fancy Starfish

I actually have four and I founf the source. I went to a new LFS yesterday (Best in town so I found out) and I bought some ChaetomorphaSpaghetti Algae (had to look it up) . So from what I can tell it came from that, I had three others bundled in it, and one other thing that I lost track of, but I am going to try to find.

I still don't have my camera back running again (ordered batteries) but I will try to locate what I found online and post back.

 

[MCluett]

it is probably just a mini brittle startfish, i have found 4 so far in my tank. they are just hitchhikers. do you usually just see a tenticle poking out of a rock swaying in the current? they are harmeless and can be put into your main tank.

 

[roka64]

I agree.

 

[cmor1701d]

Yep, sounds like a mini-britle star. Congrats. They are a great hitchhiker to find in your tank. You can move it to the main tank if the SG and temp are the same.

 

[Dyami]

I ended up with six so far, I moved four to the main tank and left two down in the sump. There is plenty of fine lava rock sand there and some chunks of LR. But they are easier to spot in there. This allows me to keep an eye on them and watch their growth.

 

[melosu58]

Congrats on the hitchikers

 

[ccCapt]

Lava rock? Dunno if I would use that in a sw tank. I would be afraid of what may leech out.

 

[Dyami]

I used lava rock because of how much surface area it has and since it is very porous I thought it would make a great bacteria growth area. So far I don't beleive I have had any problems with it and it is definatly far cheaper than bio balls and live rock. I have it in a 5 gal water cooler jog flipped upside down with water flowing over the rock through the jug. About 1/4 of the jug is fully submerged while the rest stays out of the water with just the tricle from the overflow.

About the only known issue I have with the rock is that if it isn't rinsed well before you put it in, you get a very fine red "dust". This does settle and the water stays very clear after that, but I do have a good bit of it in the sump and doing water changes it gets stirred up and has put some up in the display.

Other than that I can't say it has been too bad.

 

[cmor1701d]

Lava rock could contain metals depending on where it's from. That red dust is probably rust (Iron). For example, "Hawaiian basalts contain about 50% silica, 10% each of iron, magnesium, calcium, about 15% aluminum, 2% titanium and 2% sodium."
LR should be fully submerged for the best benefit and most bacterial colonization.

Base rock can found for around a dollar a pound.