USCG CWO Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Okay I found a new hitchhiker this afternoon when I got home from work. I believe it is a small, about the size of an M&M, starfish. It has four legs and they are short and thick, not long and skinny. The top looks gray or brown, underneath is white. I guess two questions: (scratch) 1. Is it a Starfish? 2. Should I get him out while I can? I am planning on going full on reef and I understand some of these guys are not reef friendly. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghiggi Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Looks like it could possibly be an Asterina. They have mixed reviews an whether they are reef safe or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Yup. Asterina. Could be the acro-eating type, or the zoa-eating type, or the much more common reef-safe type. You can yank it if you want, but you probably can't get rid of them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted September 12, 2008 Author Share Posted September 12, 2008 Thanks guys. Wife and kids think it's cool. I don't really have anything in the tank right now except my rock, sand, couple snails, emerald crab, tiger cowrie, and cleaner shrimp, so for now he'll stay. Later it may have to go though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 I have heard that the ones that have a 'reddish tint' to them and not the white ones are the troublesome ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 That lines up with what I've seen -- a reddish-brown mottled one took out a stlyo frag in my big tank. It's the grey-mottled ones in my son's nano that make it impossible to keep zoas in there; they're on zoas like white on rice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Thats strange stuff. I have heard that their are some problems with certain kinds of these. I personally have never had a problem with any of them. I haven't seen too many of the reddish colored ones though. I have never seen any of them eating any of my corals. I have seen them all over the coraline algae though. Garrett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Only "Problem" I have is if a coral RTN's the starfish will tend to want to eat some of the dead areas, but I have not seen the starfish cause the RTN only clean it up after the fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 I pulled an asterina off that stripped band you can see at the bottom of the frag. It was definitely eating the flesh, I watched it do it. The frag RTN'd from that stripped part upwards. This was the asterina: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Yeah thats the "BAD GUY" I was speaking of....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 Kinda a pretty little guy. Its too bad its not a good guy(sad) That bastard(flame). I love stylo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Just get some shrimp and you wont have to deal with them anymore(whistle) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted September 14, 2008 Author Share Posted September 14, 2008 What kind of shrimp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 What kind of shrimp? They must be talking about Harliquin shrimp. They only eat the tubefeet of starfish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 They must be talking about Harliquin shrimp. They only eat the tubefeet of starfish. From what I have seen they like to eat the whole thing. Can I use that Asterina picture on fishatlas.org, or my other site? Of course you will get credit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCG CWO Posted September 16, 2008 Author Share Posted September 16, 2008 Doran, If you are talking about the picture I took have at it. Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Watch out though they may not cause any harm when they are small but they grow very quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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