Juvenile Serpent Stars & Carnation Corals

[BrentB]

One of my two carnation corals recently started to look a little less robust than the other.
Upon close inspection, I noticed several juvenile serpent stars on both carnation corals. There was one 1/8 inch wide serpent star wrapped around virtually every coral branch. I removed a total of 15 from both corals.
Not sure the relationship between the serpent stars and the corals. I don’t see them anywhere else in the tank. Not sure whether to release them back into the tank, into my refugium, or what....
Anyone else know if there is a beneficial relationship or do they simple hatch there and hang out till they are bigger?

 

[Tennyson]

Those 'juvenile' serpent stars are more likely Micro Brittle stars, harmless helpful hitchikers.
Your carnation is probably dying since they are almost impossible to keep alive long term.

 

[TheH]

Those sound like micro brittle stars. What are you doing to keep the carnation coral alive? Does it look well? They may have been feeding on a dying coral.

 

[BrentB]

They may have arrived as eggs.
I pulled a dozen or so off. After removing them and placing them in a specimen jar, I noticed a piece of polyp had been pulled off along with one. The other's immediately mauled it and it was consumed overnight. Pulled 3 more off this morning. I'm not convinced they are the wonderful scavengers some of the sites claim.
Oh yea, the other carnation is doing wonderful. I use direct feeding of three different planktons and add the plankton to the sump every evening. The filter feeders seem to love it. I'm hopeful the affected carnation will perk up in a couple days. They take a while to adjust to changes, and being removed to have parasites removed would definitely be stressful. We'll see.
Thanks,
Brent
P.S. I'll start submiting pics soon.

 

[TheH]

Your tank sounds interesting. Can you tell us a little more about what filter feeders you are maintaining?