Baby starfish? Feather dusters????

pasafire

pasafire

Member
I wish I could get a picture of these things but I don't have capabilities of capturing something so small. As I was cleaning the outside of my tank today I noticed maybe 30-40 what look to be baby starfish. I know I have 1 I think type of brittle that lives in my LR I think he's stuck in there all we ever see are arms! But anyways most of these have a noticeable center and 5 arms, however some have more/less. They are about the size of a pin head and attatched all over the walls of my 125g. I had the mini brittle stars before in my 25g tank but parameters got out of wack, fish ate em etc. I started my 125g with some rock from my 25g, but I hadn't seen any of these stars in forever where as there used to be hundreds of them. When they were in the 25g I NEVER saw any on the glass... Only babies coming out on the LR when I fed the fish... I also have TONS of feather dusters in my 125g so I was thinking maybe they are baby feather dusters???? HELP HELP hahahah ;-) I'm not using my mag float til I determine what the heck these things are as I'm sure I'd kill em scraping the tank with the mag float. Any thoughts on maybe catching them and putting them in a 10g to grow out? Or do you think food shortage would cause their demise?
 
puffer9006

puffer9006

Member
they sound like star fish i have one in my tank thats small and i never bought any star fish ever. they might blend in with aglea they have no color to them. you might want to leave them their some fish like them. and they seem to add a certain cool to the tank when people look at it. they shouldnt harm your tank but what you could always do is have them grow up and sell them if you dont want them.
 
corally

corally

Active Member
They are probably brittle stars and they come as hitchikers on LR. I think Ophiura has said that they don't get bigger than a dime or nickel, can't remember which. Either way they are beneficial scavengers.
 
pasafire

pasafire

Member
Originally Posted by corally
They are probably brittle stars and they come as hitchikers on LR. I think Ophiura has said that they don't get bigger than a dime or nickel, can't remember which. Either way they are beneficial scavengers.

I actually just found a old thread about a "starfish" identification and ophiura said that they were actually Staurocladia which is a type of hydroid jellyfish? Said that they bloom and are all over then all of a sudden they are gone.....
 
fishychick

fishychick

Member
What a find to learn of someone else experiencing my same dilemma. I just upgraded my tank from 40 to 144 gallons and bought more LR. With it I have noticed an abundance of six point star fish - at least 10 of them easily spotted. If I were to attempt identification, they look like "doughboy" starfish but with 6 legs? Currently, I am not worried. Should I be?
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Yup - I'm thinking Staurocladia based on the size and being on the glass. They will come and go in a bloom.
 
pasafire

pasafire

Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
Yup - I'm thinking Staurocladia based on the size and being on the glass. They will come and go in a bloom.
Thats exactly what mine look like. So if they come and go I have nothing to worry about... However, do I have anything to worry about if they don't go away? What ramifications could I be looking at here? Any ideas? I tried to look up the article you previously refferred to but the site is not operational, and all the other info I found said nothing as to its effects on aquariums. I am assuming it never stays, but just wondering any idea what might happen if they actually do?
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I don't think they would do any harm. I have seen them, literally for a day, in systems and then they are gone.......
 
pasafire

pasafire

Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
I don't think they would do any harm. I have seen them, literally for a day, in systems and then they are gone.......

Do you know how big they could get? Is that their full grown size like Itty bitty teeny weeny jellies?!?!?! Thanks for your help!
 
pasafire

pasafire

Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
Pin head size is about it

hahahha ok so i guess until they're coating my glass where I can't see in the aquarium I won't worry about them. Just enjoy watching them!
 
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