Should I be concerned?

[jamesbog283]

I noticed this little white thing emerging from this little piece of live rock. It doesn't look like anything good, should I remove the rock, or is there a way to see if this is a parasite and recommendations to remove it?

 

[DeniseAndy]

Is the rock moving from flow in the tank? Looks like could just be the legs of a micro brittle star. Those are great for tanks. If you can just lift and look, you would see the starfish.

 

[jamesbog283]

Is the rock moving from flow in the tank? Looks like could just be the legs of a micro brittle star. Those are great for tanks. If you can just lift and look, you would see the starfish.

Yes rock is just moving from the current. I will look tonight to see if its a star but I only see the one tube and it looks like its coming out of the rock. I did have a serpent star but it didn't live. Maybe i missed cleaning a piece and regenerated?

 

[Sm51498]

That is almost certainly a tiny starfish. They are common and almost certainly harmless. I think they are beneficial.

 

[jamesbog283]

That is almost certainly a tiny starfish. They are common and almost certainly harmless. I think they are beneficial.

Wow...who'da thunk it! I will look for a body tonight when I get home.

 

[jamesbog283]

That is almost certainly a tiny starfish. They are common and almost certainly harmless. I think they are beneficial.

I wonder if my sally crab will think it's breakfast as he did with my hermit crab this morning

 

[Sm51498]

sorry for your hermit but that crab is AWESOME! Very cool.

 

[jamesbog283]

sorry for your hermit but that crab is AWESOME! Very cool.

Thanks... I guess nature is taking its course gotta love it! It was hard to get it away from her but I managed.

 

[ahiggins]

it looks like some of what i find in my tank-theyre good guys

 

[jamesbog283]

It would appear that the hermit must have molted overnight. The shell was empty this morning and the sally was munching on something but when I got home from work the hermit was in his shell....I thought i was going cuckoo!

 

[DeniseAndy]

Those things catch me so many times I have lost count. My mithrax, my hermits, my pom poms and even my shrimp.

 

[erinmegan85]

Hermit crab molts have made me think my hermits have died more times than I can count! Your sally crab is pretty darn awesome!

 

[jamesbog283]

Hermit crab molts have made me think my hermits have died more times than I can count! Your sally crab is pretty darn awesome!

Thanks! She's incredibly active! It took a bit of chasing to get the hermit away from her, despite her handi-cap of only having 1 pincher she'd not let go of that hermit!