Caught a hitcher

[clancaster23]

Well after putting another piece of live rock and a few shells, a little while later my wife happened to be looking in the tank and saw a small starfish slowly moving around. It's no bigger than my pinky fingernail and it appeared to be mostly black. I can't see it now, it probably found a hole to go hide in but I don't have a pic yet. Any clue on what kind it is? I don't think it's a serpent type as it's arms were rounded. Not sure that matters though, I know next to nothing about starfish. I jsut hope it isn't something that's going to get eaten or go eating my new corals!

 

[little_fish]

Sound like an asterina star. They can become an issue in some tank, but i suspect that they turn to eating coraline or zoas when they run out of film algae to eat. So you can either pluck them out when you see them, or leave them alone.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

+1 Hannah. It's probably an asterina star as they're a super common hitcher. I hate them with a passion becasue they eat my zoanthids so I pull them out.

 

[clancaster23]

Thanks. I think I'll leave it in there unless I see it actually doing something. Is that about as big as it will get?

 

[little_fish]

Ya, and they can have all sorts of crazy leg combinations.

 

[clancaster23]

This one has just five and the wife loves it cause she has been wanting to get a starfish but i have been making her wait. About five minutes after she told me that, she found that one in the tank. Hoping it will be good and not bother the coral. If so, it's out!

 

[little_fish]

Well they multiply pretty quickly under the right conditions, so i suspect you have a few.

 

[clancaster23]

Well, like I said, I think this one is brand new to the tank. I have never seen it til yesterday and the tank has been running about two months now and I keep a pretty close eye on it. I'm thinking it was tucked up into one of the large shells I got cause that's all I have put in that tank for a good three weeks now.

 

[Toolman]

Pluck um and chuck um.....I do :twocents:

 

[AmberSunrise]

Yeah its not the kind of starfish you want to keep as a pet more like a roach lol.

I would wait on the starfish they are very sensitive. My tank is 2 months old also and I jumped and got one and it ended up being the first thing I killed.

:(

 

[clancaster23]

Yeah, I keep trying to tell her that you have to go slow with certain things but she just wants to hurry. No worries though, I won't get it til later.

 

[AmberSunrise]

Yeah, I keep trying to tell her that you have to go slow with certain things but she just wants to hurry. No worries though, I won't get it til later.

Yes I hurried too and even though I acclimated it for several hours it went into shock, it was AWFUL to watch the poor thing melt away. I was so upset about it I decided no more creatures for me right now. I am going to focus on stocking up on corals

 

[fastrd400]

Make sure it is an Asternia first. You said it was mostly black? Did it have long string like legs? Look up Bristle Stars, Brittle Stars, and Asternia Stars before you decide to throw him out. Make sure what he is. The first 2 are okay, the later, not so much.

 

[clancaster23]

Yeah it looked more of a black color but it did not have the long stringy legs. Short and rounded. I'm hoping I see it again so I can get a pic and be 100% sure.

 

[clancaster23]

It finally came out again and I managed to get some pics of it:

Will this star try to eat my frogspawn?? I just caught him on the stalk of it and plucked him off.

 

[Bifferwine]

That's an asterina star. It won't hurt your frogspawn.

 

[clancaster23]

But it can hurt the zoas?