White Starfish?

Nemoose · Aug 11, 2012

I jsut noticed an odd looking white starfish in my 30 gallon reef. It is maybe 1/2 across with 6 arms, 2 of which sem to be broken off. The tank is well established and this is the first time I ahve ever noticed them. Does anybody know anything about these guys? will they have my soft corals?

Pappy · Aug 11, 2012

Pic would help but what u r describing sounds like an asterina.

Aquaph8 · Aug 11, 2012

I agree, sounds like an asterina, some say they harm corals some don't have any issue with them. They can spread pretty fast though.

Texasnano · Aug 11, 2012

Kill em. Always find them around my zoas and zoas always missing

SeahorseKeeper · Aug 11, 2012

These guys can become a nuisance in a tank with high nutrients. They reproduce by dropping a leg. This is why you are seeing them with missing legs.

Degener8 · Aug 11, 2012

Send me asternias...I lost all mine when tank crashed a while back...loved them and the micro brittle stars..free cuc.
I never had the coral eating monsters.. I have heard that the grey ones are the coral eaters but the pure white are good but that's only hearsay not hard fact.

steamer51 · Aug 12, 2012

I have always had a ton of them (I have a problem feeding to much) and they have never caused me any problems. There are definately some bad ones out there that eat corals, especially zoas but I have never introduced any. Mine are all the descendants of hitchhikers on my original live rock in 2006 and I consider them a valuable part of my CUC and find them interesting. The thing I like best about my tank is the opportunity to expand the diversity of sea life that is possible to keep in saltwater and what better than tiny starfish that won't outgrow the tank and eat the algae and other things that make the tank dirty.