ID Please?

[mluntz]

It looks like some kind of starfish, but I have never had a starfish before and have not added any LR in months. Sorry, the picture quality isn't that great.

 

[oscarinw]

Asterina star. Mostly considered a pest. They will reproduce incredibly fast via splitting. Yours appears to have 3 little guys somewhere. Some report it eating coraline and some say they don't cause harm. I had them. Removed them manually every time I saw one and don't have them anymore. It was like a 6 moth endeavor though...
Good luck

 

[mluntz]

Question is where did it come from. I haven't bought any coral or LR in months

 

[pinnatus]

They hide very well. Maybe has been there all along. Or smaller so that you didn't see it.
I remove them whenever I see one. Most are harmless but some have been known to eat corals.

 

[mluntz]

Question is now my wife loves it. Every time I tell her something won't work or needs to come out of the tank, she gives me that look! LOL

 

[tmz]

Cute but some can harm corals. usually zoanthids and soft corals ,IME.

 

[billdogg]

I've never had one bother a thing. If one tank gets too many, I'll spread them around my other systems. 99.9% beneficial detritavore IMO. I vote with the wife on this one. Leave them be.

 

[julie180]

If you see it eating on a coral take it out. I have never had problems with them either.

 

[3FordFamily]

I have them and have never had any issues as well.

I do find that when my nitrates or phosphates spike they tend to spread much more quickly. I do also remove them when convenient or easy. More because I know how fast they propagate and know I probably will never eradicate them. I notice they like to eat nori off of my rubber band rock for tangs.

 

[CoralOfDuty]

wouldnt chance it. get rid of em before they overpopulate your tank and eat your zoos. then youll need a harlequin shrimp to decimate them.

 

[GilliganReef]

Question is now my wife loves it. Every time I tell her something won't work or needs to come out of the tank, she gives me that look! LOL

Oh I get that look when ever my wife picks a fish at the LFS. I always have to tell her fish too big for the tank or not reef safe. lol

 

[CoralOfDuty]

lol. my girl picks the craziest stuff and then gets mad at me as well. she seems to like frogfish, puffers, eels, lionfish, and anything that looks odd.

 

[coralsnaked]

Threy also eat acros. They will turn to the coral when the population reaches the tipping point. Cute I know, but bring home a Harlequin Shrimp and believe me the wife and kids will think it is the cutest thing ever. Just don't tell them why all the Asterinis are disappearing!

 

[mcgyvr]

all newbies should bookmark this..

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html
and in case the navigation isn't clear you click on the picture next to each category to see lots of examples..