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Tiny starfish identification (1 Viewer)

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RickD

RickD

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Can anyone ihelp me dentify this starfish? Right now it's pretty small, it just showed up one day.

Thanks..

-rick
 
G

Guest

I have gotten those every now and then as well. Everyone correct me if im wrong, but from what ive heard, they will stay that same tiny size and can reproduce quickly but are basically harmless. As far as Ive seen in my own tank I just take them out as they appear (I only get about one a week to every other week) and that so far has kept them from appearing very often. Hope that helps!
 
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t0mmy108

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starfish

i take them out as soon as i see them. Dunno if they eat corals or not, but GARF seems to think so.

"During last few weeks we received several questions about predatory starfish so I thought I would update our article about these predators. At GARF we have discovered there are several different types of Polyp eating starfish that can reproduce in reef aquariums. These starfish have reproduction sizes that range from a small blue starfish that gets no larger than one-quarter inch across to a large Brown starfish that is almost an inch wide. "
GARF.org
 
L

landfish

I get thoes all the time. They do reproduce quickly. I have never seen them on any of my coral but I pull everyone I see out just to be careful. I have heard that they are bad and I have heard that they are harmless. If you decide to keep it in the tank just make sure you watch to see if they attack your coral.
 
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Niko5

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Keep them it adds to the divirsity of the aquarium :) If you see them eating something TAKE a picture and prove they are before you just rip critters out of the tank :)
 
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rxonco

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I've got tons of those in my tank. Never seen them eating any coral. They just truck around on the live rock and the glass. I've always heard that they are good to have in the tank because they act as part of the clean-up crew.
 
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Niko5

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AS soon as mine start reproducing as fast as everyone says they do ill share :p I dont see mine to offen.

VTF has TONS of them im sure you can get them to sale you them for about $6 each hehe :p
 
G

Guest

i have some and they crawl over the corals but dont touch them. Fish Ranch has a bunch and they will sell them.
 
G

Guest

Mine have never eaten my corals either. From what I hear, there is a few different species of this size that are hard to distinguish from each other and there is one at least that can eat corals. Most people I know have never had a bad encounter with them, they just trot around eating detritus and algae.
 
G

Guest

We only have about 3 or 4 at most, and they blend well into the rock. Never seen them on any of our corals.

I for one would not be surprised to find out thtat there are species of them that eat corals, but the ones we have I can assume do not.

Ours also has been mass producers.
 
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tvu

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i have a bunch of them. Sometimes more sometimes less. i've only seen them eating algae on glass or LR. the largest one i've ever had only grew to about 1/4". i've also read somewhere that they are bad and also read that they are harmless. i believe them to be harmless since they've just grazed on algae in my tank.

highestbid you can have some of mine. just let me know when.
 
G

Guest

If anyone wants to bring some for me this weekend at the frag swap/club meeting I will take some.
 
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Niko5

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Hey theres the insentive we need to get people to come to the meeting... if you come to the meeting you get a white star!!! and if your a member you get 2.. ok now someone hurry and call Fish Ranch and get them to donate a few hundred :p
 
G

Guest

Niko5 said:
Hey theres the insentive we need to get people to come to the meeting... if you come to the meeting you get a white star!!! and if your a member you get 2.. ok now someone hurry and call Fish Ranch and get them to donate a few hundred :p
Click to expand...

Feel free to take up that task Nick!!
 
L

landfish

Isis,

If I make it to the frag swap (which I am planning on going) I will try and bring a few of them for you
 
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