Question on Serpent Stars

iloveswfish

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I think i have serpent stars in some of my live rock. I want to get rid of them. Does anyone know how i can get rid of them.
 

Rob.D

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I think i have serpent stars in some of my live rock. I want to get rid of them. Does anyone know how i can get rid of them.

Some species of wrasse will eat them but is there a reason you don't want them in your tank?
 
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iloveswfish

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i have a six line wrasse and it does not bother with it. i dont want them caus they look like spiders.. and i dont want them bothering my corals
 

Mike_Diako

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I understand why one would not want them due to the perceived "creepy" factor though they are a great addition to your cleanup crew. In regards to them bothering your corals, they don't; If anything, they will clean up the detritus and junk that ends up settling in them. If you look at it that way, they are actually improving the health of your corals. If you still want to get rid of them try a freshwater dip. Be forewarned though that this could cause die off of the rock and depending how much rock you're doing may cause a small cycle.
 

Tahoe61

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Serpent star in rock work sounds like harmless brittle stars. A Serpent star is a large type brittle star, not the tiny ones that stick their little legs out at feeding time.

You'll not be able to rid your tank of them completely and forever. They are great scavengers and part of a dynamic eco system. They do not bother corals.

Less available food will reduce their population numbers.

An established systems is not a sterile system, most hobbyist find them fascinating and a welcome addition.

Attempting to eradicate them will be futile and possibly detrimental to the system, simply feed less. If you treat your rock just for the purpose of temporarily killing them you're asking for a cycle from killing off your beneficial bacteria.
 
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Sabellafella

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Litterally i started with one came past a dip from a frag and i litterally have about 25 in the matter ofba year not one got past 2 ,3 inches big, i said the same thing when i first seen them but there your best bet sweeping detritus under your rockworld
 
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