Starfish Hitchhiker ID Please

[ktnjer]

So I have had my tank set up for about 3 months now and I got some live rock from a fellow reefer. I noticed this star on the side of my tank glass just now:

Is this the Asterina star? Right now I have no corals in the tank as I want to let it go for a few months. Will they spread really badly?

 

[ktnjer]

Also....would this be a tube anemone? Would it be harmful to keep them?

 

[Animal Mother]

1. Asterina. Never have caused any problems in my tanks, and yes, they spread.

2. Looks like a small red feather duster of sorts.

 

[ktnjer]

The guy I got the LR from has them in his tank and he said he hasn't had a problem with the stars neither. He has a well established tank that has been setup for a few years.

I know when anything gets near the red thing, it goes right down the tube its in!

Does anyone know how big the stars get?

 

[JamesBryan]

I agree on both ID's. Both will spread. No problems from either. The asterina stars are great for stubborn algae spots on glass. I have seen them sit on one patch for a week or more. Daily you could see their cleaned area grow larger. I have seen them sit on a spot of tough encrusting algae for a very long time also. They haven't cleared it but have reduced it. I don't see them on the sand bed. Just on the glass and rocks. I have watched them near zoanthids and they just crawl around or over them. It is just a matter of cosmetic preference IMO of whether you like them or not in your tank.

Congrats on finding living things. My magnifying glass is next to my aquarium. You never know when something will bloom enough to find them. There are ebbs and flow of populations too which is neat.

 

[ktnjer]

Thats funny....our magnifying glass is on the stand as well!

Thanks for the ID's!