Id please - pest or starfish?

[nickh06]

Just introduced my cuc a few days ago and found this guy on the glass today. Looks like half a baby starfish but not sure
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[nickh06]

Better pic of it
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[mwbeach]

Looks like an asteria starfish. I get them out as soon as I see them. They can irritate corals.

 

[nickh06]

mwbeach;1003644 wrote: Looks like an asteria starfish. I get them out as soon as I see them. They can irritate corals.

Thanks!

 

[mwbeach]

Nickh06;1003646 wrote: Thanks!

Your welcome. They also can reproduce very fast.

 

[nickh06]

mwbeach;1003647 wrote: Your welcome. They also can reproduce very fast.

Good to know, I got him out of there. Must have snuck in on my cuc. I cycled with dry rock to avoid this lol

 

[mwbeach]

Nickh06;1003648 wrote: Good to know, I got him out of there. Must have snuck in on my cuc. I cycled with dry rock to avoid this lol

I did the same thing with dry rock. They sneak in on anything. Mine have come on Corals and CUC.

Make sure you don't leave a leg behind when pulling them out. That's how they reproduce is by legs coming off and growing into a new one

 

[nickh06]

Crazy, also good to know. I slid him off the glass with a net and he stayed in one piece. How long did your dry rock take to start growing coralline?


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[mwbeach]

I had a mix of dry and live rock. Took a month or two before I started seeing some. Took 6 months to see alot

 

[raz0945]

The asteria starfish will also eat the purple coralline algae off your rocks. When you see a lot of white spots on the coralline start looking for the starfish late at night or before the lights come on. Holley

 

[mikesmith34]

I just leave them alone. They don't hurt anything unless they have some red on their backs. Mine that are white have never done any harm

 

[camellia]

I used to pick them out but have to many now to bother with. No visible harm but I don't like them!

 

[hiimsean]

I've recently had a huge explosion of them in my tank. I just leave them about their business.

Like Mikesmith said, the ones with color on their back are the ones to watch out for, they'll munch on zoas.

 

[nickh06]

Thanks guys! Good Info, I am never surprised at the stuff I find in my tank anymore. Pretty cool that random things pop up every now and then.

 

[kevinathom]

Got to love hitchhikers.