baby star fish?

[clownfish cj]

I found something small that is flat moving across the back of my tank very slowly. Is has a small body with 3 distinct legs and a very small leg (not sure) out the back and it is about the size of a dime.

Any ideas?

 

[little_fish]

Asternia star fish. Common hitchhiker. In some tanks they can become a pest because there is no film algae for them to eat so they turn to eating soft corals. This can happen in super clean running tanks or when the population skyrockets.

 

[mj_273]

How do you get rid of them?

 

[marcah]

tweezers, harlequen shrimp.. I have a few mulling around no harm so far but will watch them...:squint:
only problem with the shrimp is after they are done getting rid of them you need to feed the shrimp.. so off to the store for starfish for him...

 

[RyanG]

Asterina's aren't really all that bad of a thing until they are at a seriously high number in a seriously clean tank. For the most part I look at them as free clean up crew.

 

[Salty B]

I let the asterinas get to plague proportions in my nano. Now there is 100's of them. Some have reached the size of a dime and are the ones that started mowing down trees and zoas. I've been pulling out the big ones but I have a harley coming on tuesday. Cant wait to see what it can do. I pulled this star off my palau green tree and took out a dozen more the same size.

 

[Dana42078]

Thats huge!......your new shrimp will defeat your enemy! Jus pay attention to when you dont see them anymore. Then u know your gunna have to start feeding him/her.