Live Rock

[christine]

I got a mushroom coral just recently, and on the live rock came a stowaway! A small sand sifting star about 0.5 in across. Very cute, will he do any damage?

 

[Navarre]

are you sure itsa sandsifter? Sand sifters dont usually venture onto rocks so itsunusual to find one as a hitchhiker.

Does it have more than 5 legs and are its legs all even length?

 

[christine]

No more than 5 legs. Im not sure its a sand sifter either. They just had some in the same tankk at my LFS and thats the only thing I figured it could be. Besides that, I don't know what it is.Its light brown all over, though. I couldn't find an ID for it anywhere.

 

[leon]

sounds like a dodgy coral eating starfish to me, its name escapes me at the mo, but they are usually about 0.5-2cm, they have 7 legs but all differing sizes, greyish brown in colour, and they can spilt to re-produce, this happens when legs are all diff lengths on 1 side. I'll find a link for them but basically they arent to be trusted, and as they are so small, they can hide very easily, ive had 3 and i put them in the weir and sump.
leon

 

[RamJet]

I get them also, I have not noticed them bothering any coral, but have been keeping a sharp eye on them. Until I see them on one of my corals I am going to leave them alone. They seem to be content cleaning my glass and rocks at the moment.

 

[The Reefer]

I have a ton of those in my tank.. the ones I have are white, and you can usually find them on the glass. I have yet to see one eating one of my corals. As for the brownish ones, I have seen many articles on them and how bad they can be for a reef tank.