Baby Brittle Stars

[manderson0805]

I had a pad, from a HOB filter, sitting on the bottom of my sump. It broke free, and floated to the top. Was looking on it, and found dozens of small brittle stars. Body maybe 1/16", with an overall diameter of 1/2" or so. In the year my tank has been set up, I've never seen one in the display tank. I do have 1 large (14") brittle star. Are this things asexual? Or was I blind the last 12 months in not seeing them on my live rock?

[tdwyatt]

Much Indonesian rock, if quality shipped and not left on the dock too long, will contain these mini brittle stars, they reproduce by fission (asexual) and will grow from a single ray. I have them in my prop system.

Detritus eaters, wont get bigger than a US quarter.

[manderson0805]

Ok....good to know they won't get that big. I'm getting a pair of Harlequin Shrimp next week...I'm sick of pulling the white mini stars out of my tank by the dozens.

[ReefSitter]

Yes harlequin shrimp will eat these stars, BUT, when the stars are gone I believe the harlequin shrimp will starve.

I added one for the same problem. It took about about a month and the stars were all gone, also the shrimp was gone also???

[manderson0805]

well, I figure I have 300 to 400 in my tank...should keep them fed for a while

[Jim_D]

Just wondering why you want to get rid of all your brittle stars?

[manderson0805]

They're the 6 legged Mini Stars. I hate coming out to my tank at night or in the morning and seeing hundreds of them on the glass. I don't want to get rid of all of them, but if I can keep a pair of shrimp happy for a few months, I'd like to get down to a couple dozen of them.

[sls]

i have the mini brittles along with mini serpents. i just noticed them in my tank a couple weeks ago. they run like mad when the lights come on. manderson, i got some of those 6 legged mini stars from you a couple months ago with maybe 5 tiny snails. now i have at least a hundred stars and way too many of those snails to count. im sure eventually ill have too many and run into the same problem as you but for now theyre a welcome addition.

[manderson0805]

Well, if you want a couple hundred more stars, and maybe 4 or 5 hundred snails, come on over...I've never seem them go after any of my corals, I'm just sick of seeing them all over the back glass during the day, and all over the whole tank when actinics are on. My sump probably has thousands of these things all over the rock...as long as they stay down there, I'm happy.

[tdwyatt]

heh, they're doing the dirty work in the tank, I ike seeing them knowing that!

heh!

[sls]

i dont think i need any more stars but iw would like more of those snails sometime if its no trouble.