Is their tiny starfish that are harmful to any types of corals

[reeferbuddy215]

I have a huge outbreak of starfish and I have the ones that eat algae and are real small but these have thin hair like tentacles and literally every hole in almost every rock in my 125 gallon reef tank has their little tenticles hanging out and I know their carnivores cuz when I feed my fish n corals meaty food u see their tentacles grabbing food. Their so tiny it's hard to get a picture of them but theirs literally prob over 100,000 in my tank but I haven't lost any corals but three are messsing with my yellow polyps. Any idea and should I go get me another harlequin shrimp as they work miracles for starfish removal. Thanks anyone.

 

[AcroNem]

Looks like a little brittle star, I don't think a harlequin would help with them, but they also shouldn't bother anything. They're detritivores so the polyps they're on will be fine.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Yes Harlequin shrimp don't eat brittle stars. Brittle stars are beneficial detritivores

 

[fragit]

If you can collect 1000 or so I will take them and pay shipping!

 

[Slot]

Id take some off your hands too lol

 

[Mike N]

Same here!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Me thinks you have a tiny gold mine....

 

[alanbetiger]

1+ with that being a brittle star. Are all 100,000 brittle stars or are the majority Asterina. If you have a ton of asterinas, yeah they can eat some coral. They started eating Zoas in my tank.

 

[reeferbuddy215]

I had a feeling it might be baby brittle stars but theirs literally gotta be thousands and their so small whenever I pick one up it dies immediately after I took one out of the water for like 5 seconds but if they really are brittle stars then I'm a happy camper

 

[reeferbuddy215]

I know they got introduced when I bought a ball of chaeto and calaupra at a lfs cuz I seen them I the refugium first but hey eat all the left overs and ditetris u want lol thanks everyone

 

[reeferbuddy215]

And when their bigger and not so fragile I'm gonna have to sell a ton of them so yeah I van sell brittle starfish cheap when their not the size of a penny fully stretched

 

[Katrina71]

Are brittle stars safe with tiny fish? They are cool.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Are brittle stars safe with tiny fish? They are cool.

minis are yes.

 

[Katrina71]

minis are yes.

Is a mini just the size it starts out or a type? My son would love a starfish.

 

[Mike N]

It's a specific type. I've never had one, but read that they grow to about 4-5" max. The non-mini variety grow much larger.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Is a mini just the size it starts out or a type? My son would love a starfish.

these are mini's, they never get big. Look for brittle stars at the lfs and online. I got may last boring one for $10, and my super fancy black with red stripes(Darth Kraken is his name) for $25. Avoid , serpent stars(predators), sand sifting stars and linka's, the generally starve in new or small aquariums. I spot feed darth Kraken. One of my old Black brittle stars liked to be hand fed.

 

[reeferbuddy215]

Well if anyone wants me to catch them some I can sell ya as many as I can get to just pm me.