Holy Starfish Batman!!!!

[va reef walker]

Greetings all,

This is my first post so if I miss giving some important information I apologize in advance.

My tank is four days into it's cycle and we have found a few starfish in our tank that appear to have hitchhiked on our live rock. Just babies of course, but what's the chances that they will survive this?

I'm thinking slim to none, but wanted to double check since so far they haven't acted like anything is wrong with them, and as of last nights tests my Nitrite levels were already beginning to increase and my ammonia levels are decreasing.

Now I understand that Nitrite will kill them just as easily, but figured I'd ask the experts..:D

My main reason for asking is I have little one's in the house that have been fascinated by the little starfishes and I want to come up with a contingency ahead of time :)

Thanks in advance

kris

 

[fastrd400]

I'm am guessing that what you have are Asternia Starfish since you are calling them babies. They are small, and normally don't grow bigger than a pencil eraser. They are considered pests by alot of people in the hobby, me included. They have a tendancy to multiply quickly, and can and will eat your coraline algae off the rocks. They have also been known to go after zoas. A few are not bad if you can keep them in check. That requires you pulling them out and throwing them away when you see them. To see exactly what I am talking about, do a Google search for the name.

 

[Alexander]

If its the suspected stars above you will be a-ok. In fact a lot of them get a bad wrap by saying they eat soft corals, when in fact what is actualy happening is they are going after already dying coral tissue that you may not even notice is on its way out before they hone in on it. I've had hundreds in my 180 for over 4 years. Its been a long debated reef safety topic, but im a huge supporter
And additionally I an fairly certain they will survive the cycle, they are tough.

Now if these are not the starfish we will have some totally different answers on our hands.

 

[Waddi]

Fight fight fight, haha i love stirring de poo poo.
Any how, can you get a picture or maybe a nice little description?????
Oh and Welcome to the Reef!! :D

 

[va reef walker]

Thanks everyone,

After doing some googling they appear to be Asternia's... so far we've only seen two. I think maybe what I'll do is give them till the end of my cycle and see if they are still there. That is unless I see that they are multiplying, then I'm afraid I may remove them.

Other than that I guess I'll watch and see what they do and decide based on that.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[guarda]

I've only been reefing for about a year but it still amazes me when I see new critters pop up! Anyway, I try not to kill anything unless I really have to and I haven't had any problems with asterinas in my tank. I hear people have had zoa munching issues with the darker colored ones though.

 

[Gooseman]

asternias do not really harm much other than all the pretty purple coraline that covers your LR ... i had hundreds of them in my aquarium and got tired of them devouring my coraline so i purchased a Harlequin Shrimp and they disappeared rather quickly ... on a downside once the stars are gone so is the shrimp as that is their only diet

 

[va reef walker]

It's funny because ever since we put the LR in the tank, we've all been like little kids watching to see what's going to pop up. The first few nights we all sat around watching when we turned the lights out to see what was going to come out.

This hobby definitely has a way of making the wonder of discover come out in you... We don't even have fish yet and in my mind, it's already paid for itself watching my three little ones watch in wonder at whats going on in the tank, and the excitement in there eyes when they discover some new little thing like a bristle worm for example...

Needless to say.. We're Hooked

Thanks everyone for your replies

 

[Bifferwine]

I'm glad you are enjoying the hobby. It really is incredible to discover what we can keep in our own homes. The discovery never ends too -- people have seen things they never knew were in their tanks years after setting them up.

 

[Alexander]

I'm glad you are enjoying the hobby. It really is incredible to discover what we can keep in our own homes. The discovery never ends too -- people have seen things they never knew were in their tanks years after setting them up.

case in point i saw a hermit crab in a turbo shell the size of a 50 cent piece the other night and i have not been aware of any crabs living in my 180 for at least 2-3 years then one night he was just toolin around my brain coral. i was amazed.