What's this, please?

[JBowden]

So I got some snails today from my LFS, I haven't put them in the tank yet... I was letting them float in the bag in the water...and I seen this little thing on the inside of the bag. And I mean.. it's LITTLE. Not even the size of my pinky finger-nail.

If I remember right, I seen these a while back all over a tank at the store...

What is it...and is it good or bad?

 

[Bifferwine]

That's an asterina star. They can be bad in large enough numbers. They are really common hitch hikers -- most of us have them. I don't mess with them, they seem to feed off the film algae on the glass. If you want to take it out, you can.

 

[Zissou]

Bad. Had a couple hitchhike on a monti frag and now there's a dozen or so, eating my coraline. Been up every night picking them out with tweezers trying to stem the tide. :grumble:

 

[lilduud]

i HATE those little f***ers they kill my precious coralline algae

 

[Smitty]

+1 Biff...they can be good and bad. I pick mine out cause they eat coralline. And they multiply quickly.

 

[JBowden]

Thanks guys! I'll pitch him.

 

[reeffreak]

I have had hundreds of them before.They never bothered a thing.

 

[MushroomXombies]

They like my Zoanthids

 

[dcantucson]

+1 Dominick
I have never seen any adverse effects from them. Such mixed reviews though.

 

[the reef kid]

I leave them because they eat coralline...I'd rather have my corals get the calcium than the algae.