Is this good starfish?

canadianeh

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
1,611
Reaction score
1,044
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I got chaeto from LFS and it came with this starfish like creature.

ID?

79E03F38-81C0-4DCF-B42C-E6819E93F86F.jpeg
 

AcroNem

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Messages
4,469
Reaction score
14,515
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Formerly in the genus Asterina, they are now Aquilonastra. There's 33-35 species, most of which are harmless. A couple species that are sometimes encountered in the hobby will harm corals and other invertebrates, although that is *sometimes* they're often benign but can be seen as a pest due to how quickly they reproduce.
 
OP
OP
canadianeh

canadianeh

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
1,611
Reaction score
1,044
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks guys! I will not take a chance and kill it. How do I make sure that the chaeto doesn’t come with anything harmful?

how long should I submerge it in tap water? Is tap water enough?
 

jeffrey750750

Reefin in the slow lane
View Badges
Joined
Feb 26, 2020
Messages
1,280
Reaction score
3,440
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Since were talking about asterina, all that I have are tan. I cant even count how many there are but in the past week I saw a black one. I plucked him and put him in the sump. Any ideas if the black one are safe?

20200523_145429.jpg
 
OP
OP
canadianeh

canadianeh

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
1,611
Reaction score
1,044
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Fresh water dip will kill the chaeto. You can quarantine it in a bucket with flow and light to monitor for other hitchhikers

really? There are many people on this forum using FW dip on chaeto apparently
 

TriggerFinger

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 12, 2018
Messages
4,509
Reaction score
16,108
Location
St. Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m sorry, I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure I read a recent post that a freshwater rinse killed someone’s chaeto. Let me try to find the post.
 
OP
OP
canadianeh

canadianeh

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
1,611
Reaction score
1,044
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I can’t find the specific post but @AlgaeBarn doesn’t advise freshwater dips for macro
326FF02F-2E7D-44F0-BAD4-BD3AD96CF965.png

apparently there are different experiences on this subject. Some say they have always done it and fine and some say not okay.

I inspected the chaeto bag just now and other than asterina I can see a snail as well. It looks like it comes with pests. I can not not to dip it. I know I will lose the copepods that come with it, but I also have apex pods ready in fridge from reef nutrition.

I think the risk of not dipping it is greater than dipping it. Especially, I am setting up a new tank.
 
OP
OP
canadianeh

canadianeh

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Messages
1,611
Reaction score
1,044
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I fresh water dipped and spray with kitchen sink spray yesterday and then I dried it up with paper towel and let it sit in my tank saltwater overnight in the fridge like some people did. This is how they look like this morning when I took it out
image.jpg
 

fishguy242

Cronies..... INSERT BUILD THREAD BADGE HERE !!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Messages
42,788
Reaction score
246,166
Location
Illinois
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
good or bad ,remove as many as possible,mutiply really quick ;)
 
Back
Top