What is this tiny sea star?

[buxndux]

Hello all. Just saw this little sea star in my tank. He's very small and has six legs. I have zoa and plan on getting other corals at some point. My friend said I should kill it but I wanted to learn more first. Thanks!

 

[buxndux]

y

 

[melosu58]

It is an asternia star. Thats just about as big as they get. I have many in the tank. Never had any issues with them.

 

[buxndux]

Ended up taking it out of my tank.. Wish I had a fuge

 

[traviere]

You just have to keep them away from your zoas.

 

[melosu58]

Why did you take it out?

 

[buxndux]

They eat zoanthids

 

[melosu58]

I have plenty of zoas in my tank for 15+ yrs now and they have never bothered them. I have 50 or 60 asternias on the glass and who knows how many in the 200 lbs of live rock. I`ve never seen any documentation that they do but I do have plenty of experience that they dont.

 

[Melissajk]

I have seen 3 asterina starfish in my tank. They come out at night. I think one was hungry because over night it ate my zoa frag. Little buggers If I see them down they go in the porcelain bowl.

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[54seaweed]

I just make it routine to suck them out while doing water changes , I can't stand them as they just keep multiplying , some will get the taste for zoa's but not all do ,
I even had a few slip by radar and turn into small serpent stars , the white/gray ones usually are the ones that turn into small serpents , the white/orange always get hungry for zoa's and the all white ones are just a big pain in the butt as they just keep multiplying , I'd get a harlequin shrimp but my other invert would kill him , meaning my lobster

 

[sharkiegirl94]

Why don't you sell em? Never flush livestock...

 

[Melissajk]

I checked with my lfs and they didn't want them.

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[sharkiegirl94]

I meant sell them locally in a classified on here or craigslist.