Found a brittle star in my tank today!!!

[Olive]

Hey guys, long time no see to all of you who might remember me!!!! Have really missed the forum, but alas, life gets in the way and I have had some pretty intense months since I have been here last and I am just now able to come down to the forum for a quick chat to elicit some advice.

Gotta question for all of you Reef Tank oficiandos out there..................can brittle stars just "appear" in you tank? I have never purchased one but today while I was repositioning my gorgonian I turned over a medium sized piece of live rock and saw the tiniest little (what appeared to be) brittle star. It looks like the common green-ish grey ones that are easy to find here in my neck of the woods, but I have never seen one so small, so I am not sure that is what it is. I haven't added anything to the tank in several months (haven't bought any live rock in almost a year), so I am unsure about whether it could have hitched a ride on anything, but I guess it could have? I am pretty sure I have nothing to worry about as far as him eating any of my fish (only have the tang and the clown now, had to pare down on the fish!) until he gets a lot bigger, but do they eat corals? He seemed quite happy in the dark under the live rock, but I guess eventually he will start coming out when he's bigger?

Could this be something else, anything dangerous I need to know about?

Thanks in advance to anyone's opinions and advice!!


Olive

 

[cation]

Can't answer your question, Olive, but boy is it good to see you! Sorry things have been rough for you lately. I was wondering where you were recently...Look here...

 

[Olive]

Can't answer your question, Olive, but boy is it good to see you! Sorry things have been rough for you lately. I was wondering where you were recently...Look here...

OH MY GOSH!!!! ) You don't know how wonderful it was to read that thread. Like I said, there's been some really major stuff that had me away (and I missed the heck out of everyone! ) and just couldn't find the time to post. I really wish that I had been able to, but just couldn't. It sure was good to see a familiar face Cation! Thank you so much for showing me that thread!!!!!! You are the bomb diggity!!!!!


I cannot believe that so many people said so many nice things. I will have to visit that thread and tell everyone thank you. There are times that you just aren't sure about the human race anymore........and just when you are about to give up and buy a book on how to be a hermit and live off the land, and build a cabin on a remote island with the trees growing there, I am shown just how wonderful the human spirit is. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart, I cannot tell you how awesome it feels that someone started a post just about lil' ol' me?!?!! )

 

[soma]

Brittle stars do often hitchhike on live rock. They are actually beneficial to the aquarium, eating detritus off of the sand.

 

[Olive]

Brittle stars do often hitchhike on live rock. They are actually beneficial to the aquarium, eating detritus off of the sand.

Oh goody , so not to worry then?