What kind of starfish is this?

[KSum89]

Im thinking its a small star, i see it in random places but i just found it on the suction for my thermometer. I thought it was dirt but looks to be a kind of star. Its real small..

I have no idea how it got there. I know it wasnt there when i moved thermometer there haha

 

[Sarcothelia]

Looks like an Asterina sp. star. Extremely common hitchhikers, harmless.

 

[Rosenweiss]

It's so cute!

 

[hackteck]

i wish they were common for me i never get any ksum89 you got so many nice hitch hikers im jealous lol

 

[KSum89]

i wish they were common for me i never get any ksum89 you got so many nice hitch hikers im jealous lol

Lol .

i hope i have more hiding in the small holes in my rock. I have no idea how that star got into the suction.. I dont want to scare it by moving it or taking it off.

 

[mr_X]

i would pull the suction cup off and set him free. it won't scare or hurt him.

 

[KSum89]

i would pull the suction cup off and set him free. it won't scare or hurt him.

Ok i walked back to the tank and it has moved to the other side of the suction now. Should i just let him be or better off setting him free because it looks like he has no problem moving.

And how big will these things get?

 

[mr_X]

set him free so he can eat more algae elsewhere. they get about the size of a pencil eraser or so....not too much bigger.

 

[KSum89]

Wow that makes sense... The suction is clear so it looked like he was on the inside. He was on the outside of it lol

And my goby ran from out his cave to check out what was going on... I hate when it does that.. Makes me think that hes gonna dart at the opening and carpet surf

 

[mr_X]

the suction cup rubber is probably an ideal surface for algae to grow. this is why the starfish found his way there.

 

[KSum89]

the suction cup rubber is probably an ideal surface for algae to grow. this is why the starfish found his way there.

So i have tiny bits of corraline algae spreading now? Is that what the star was eating.. Ive been waiting on my live rock to seed my base rocks

 

[mr_X]

he was probably going after softer algae. how much base rock is in your tank now?
how much live rock are you getting?

 

[KSum89]

I have aroudn 15 pounds of live rock, had that in there since setup. So i'd say I had it for around 3-4 months, and i added base rock from ReefCleaners (53 pounds exact) about a month ago.

 

[mr_X]

oh. gotcha.

 

[KSum89]

oh. gotcha.

Any idea when i should see some corraline algae spreading? Or do I need more live rock, i planned on adding more base rock as soon as some of the algae spreads to my current base rock.

 

[mr_X]

coralline needs the right environment to grow. it needs proper calcium and alkalinity levels along with light. weeks, months....it depends on those factors more than just time.

 

[KSum89]

I think my star has claimed the suction as his new home.. He is always somewhere on it now. Last night i turned the led moonlight on and he was nowhere to be found. He has been on it for 2 straght days.

 

[brian242pa]

i hav so many of those but some people say they eat coraline algae, i was like i dont care less for me to scrape off lol!