Can someone please identify and tell me about this worm!!!

[JasonDReef]

I have noticed several of these "worms" living in/on my live rock and they do appear to be actively eating the shrimp I'm feeding my fish and come out of their little holes in the rock during feeding time! Any information is appreciated! Are they harmful?

 

[RCKY]

Those are the legs of a small brittlestar. They are a welcome inhabitant of your tank.

 

[JasonDReef]

Thank you!

 

[JasonDReef]

No star! Bristle worms!!! A lot of them!! Any suggestions? I want them gone! Nasty! And yes they are aggressive!

 

[splurge619]

If they are really small, I would just leave them alone since they eat detritus. However, if you really want to get rid of them from your LR, you can place them in RO/DI water and they will eventually crawl out. I usually place any LR in RO/DI water before introducing it to my reef and any bristle worms, brittle stars etc. will crawl out from the LR. Another way is to setup bristle worm traps, but I think traps are a pain.

 

[JasonDReef]

Ok thank you!...

 

[JasonDReef]

Well after a long debate with myself I soaked the rock in ro. And they were indeed brittle stars!!! A lot of them.... Not sure if you can have too many but I had a whole lot!!!

 

[mayjong]

leave them alone. if they are in one rock, they are in all rocks.
they are your friend...play nice

 

[Calappidae]

I got a single brittle star about 3 months ago that was an inch in diameter.. I found him today and he wrapped around my fist... about 6 inches in diameter.. I relocated him but I didn't know they got that big.. unless mine was a different sp.

 

[JasonDReef]

I started investigating and got concerned after I lost a cleaner shrimp and a coral right after the other... I can't pinpoint the subject of interest completely but my tank seems healthier in general after the ro soak of two rocks. Leaving other be... With brittle stars and other invertebrates intact... I think there were a few species getting out of control! There were over twenty stars on the one rock! Too many in my opinion. Since the soaking the fish and coral actually appear more comfortable surprisingly!