good or bad?

[SaltwaterTeen]

I found two very little stars on my live rock, I confirmed that, because they move slow and have 5 little blunt arms. They really look like my sand sifting star, dark grey in the middle and a creamish gray on the outside. Are these baby sand sifting stars or are they pest stars? Will they hurt any corals?

 

[wrightme43]

I have a blue million of them. I believe they eat algae and detrius. Not a problem in my tank or any I take care of. HTH Steve

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

do they reproduce quickly? How big do they get? What kind of stars are they, and do you have a pic I can confirm it to?

 

[flugelnuss]

Sounds like an asterina star. Do you have a pic of it? I thought these were safe as well, until I ran across a thread on RC pointing to the garf.org website. garf claims that they are predatory SPS stars. I've never had a problem with them before, but maybe you should check this out and let us know if it is the same star that you have in your tank.

http://www.garf.org/news26p2.html#STAR

 

[flugelnuss]

Here is an update on that last link with more pictures of different strains of the star along with testimonials from people stating that these are predatory.

http://www.garf.org/STAR/starfish.html

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

Nope, mine are more of a light bluish grey color.

 

[SaltwaterTeen]

here are a couple of pics to help you, I outlined the star in black, so you have more of an Idea what it looks like

 

[gobie]

I Have All Types Of Stars In My Tank Some Are Brown Somar Cream Some Are Orange. I Keep Lps 1 Sps Leathers And I Have Yet To Find Any On Corals. They Are Always On The Side Of Tank Or Rock Or Substraight. If Any Are Polyp Predators I Must Not Have The Right Corals For Them To Eat.

 

[wrightme43]

I have the same white and blue grey ones you have SWT, on the predetory ones I do remove all tan or brown ones. I understand they can sometimes eat coral. I have never heard of the white/blue grey center ones causeing problems and I have a ton of them. My sony stinks at closeups I need to sell a kidney and get a nikkon or a hp with the 8xoptical zoom. Or for about the same money I can get a macro lense for the sony. LOL Sorry man. STeve

 

[tamarindthai]

those star fish will eat your deep water coral,,

 

[fishermann]

There are alot of different ones, I wouldn't do anything with them until you see them on some corals, most stars don't hurt a thing. They aren't going to destroy a coral overnite or grow big overnite.

 

[snobanker]

Hey Dave G, you have one less of those stars now...there was one on the leather you gave me