ID Please Need to know what it is before I lose it.

[Cdavis66]

Not sure what this is but I would like to know If I should leave it in the tank or remove it...
Sorry about the picture quality it is about the size of a mysis shrimp. It looks to me like a sea star with 2 legs missing.
Any guesses are welcome.

 

[tbrown]

It's an Asterina star I believe. Some are harmless and eat algae, some eat Zoas or other corals. Some people love them, some people hate them. They can multiply.

 

[TokenReefer]

It looks to me like a sea star with 2 legs missing

 

[Waters]

Not sure what this is but I would like to know If I should leave it in the tank or remove it...
Sorry about the picture quality it is about the size of a mysis shrimp. It looks to me like a sea star with 2 legs missing.
Any guesses are welcome.

Yes, definately an asterina star. I personally would remove it. If you see one, you have 20 lol. They multiply quickly by dropping legs which regrow into new starfish.

 

[Cdavis66]

It's an Asterina star I believe. Some are harmless and eat algae, some eat Zoas or other corals. Some people love them, some people hate them. They can multiply.

Okay I Guess I am going to remove it and hope there aren't more. I do Have a zoa colony and mushrooms so I don't want It eating those. Thank you!

 

[Briansreef]

Yes remove or you will have Tons and tons of these in a short period of time. You likely already have many in there so be on the look out to pluck them out.

 

[Cdavis66]

Yes remove or you will have Tons and tons of these in a short period of time. You likely already have many in there so be on the look out to pluck them out.

I just put a new coral in today and I'm guessing it was on that so hopefully it's the only one. Fingers crossed.

 

[Idech]

I just put a new coral in today and I'm guessing it was on that so hopefully it's the only one. Fingers crossed.

Dip your corals next time, to avoid hitchhikers.

 

[Cdavis66]

Dip your corals next time, to avoid hitchhikers.

I know I should, I have never dipped any yet and also don't have a QT tank that i know I should have...

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

S

Not sure what this is but I would like to know If I should leave it in the tank or remove it...
Sorry about the picture quality it is about the size of a mysis shrimp. It looks to me like a sea star with 2 legs missing.
Any guesses are welcome.

Seriously... Try looking at the reference threads first...

What is that!! A R2R guide to common new tank hitchhikers.

One of the greatest things about starting a reef tank is getting your live rock in and admiring all the diversity within it. The rock comes to life different creatures. This is a guide that I, along with a very well known critter identifier @KJ , have put together for the new reefer on what...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Cdavis66]

S

Seriously... Try looking at the reference threads first...

What is that!! A R2R guide to common new tank hitchhikers.

One of the greatest things about starting a reef tank is getting your live rock in and admiring all the diversity within it. The rock comes to life different creatures. This is a guide that I, along with a very well known critter identifier @KJ , have put together for the new reefer on what...

www.reef2reef.com

Okay... but just saying If i saw this picture which is the one that they display for the Asterina starfish I would still have no clue.

I mean with how close different things look in the tank Is it worth me spending an hour to find out what it is on my own and let it fall back in the sand? Not sure if you looked at my profile but i'm not exactly experienced in the hobby so I was just looking for some advice. Sorry for asking... I'll make sure to check in that thread first from now on. Thank you.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

BTW, asterinas are generally impervious to common coral dips and will latch on during the dip, so if you want to actually remove them you would have to pick them off. In my experience, I have only ever seen them eat zoas and no other coral. I don't like zoas so it's a perfectly fair trade-off haha. My nephews and nieces love seeing the 'baby starfish'.

 

[kjkszpj9]

I have small ones in my 13.5g that has multiplied to become atleast 25+ and they dont touch any of my corals, all my zoas are alive and well.

 

[907_Reefer]

I have asterinas and I will generally pick the visible ones out during water changes. While they can be decent for cleanup crew (CUC), if there are too many / too hungry they can go after some corals. They did a number on my zoas before I started removing, and I still catch them on blastos, tubastraea, and even GSP.

Personally I would remove but you do see many nice tanks here running with asterinas.

 

[Mikeltee]

Get it out. They are pests. They will multiply and be everywhere.

 

[tbrown]

Well, if we're comparing Asterina mine is bigger...

This guy is about an inch across!

 

[Cdavis66]

Well, if we're comparing Asterina mine is bigger...

This guy is about an inch across!

lol wow! yeah never had one in my tank mine was maybe a 1/4 inch

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Okay... but just saying If i saw this picture which is the one that they display for the Asterina starfish I would still have no clue.

I mean with how close different things look in the tank Is it worth me spending an hour to find out what it is on my own and let it fall back in the sand? Not sure if you looked at my profile but i'm not exactly experienced in the hobby so I was just looking for some advice. Sorry for asking... I'll make sure to check in that thread first from now on. Thank you.

I was going by your subject line... Before anyone "loses it", they might want to do a bit of reading

Happy reefing!

 

[tbrown]

lol wow! yeah never had one in my tank mine was maybe a 1/4 inch

Most are about the same size as yours. This was just so cool I couldn't throw him out.

 

[tbrown]

I was going by your subject line... Before anyone "loses it", they might want to do a bit of reading

Happy reefing!

Silly, he meant before the star hides and he can't find it...