Overrun with Mini Brittle Stars!!

[andsoitgoes]

I was happy when I got my 45g cube and saw quite a few of these guys floating around, and it seemed that they would breed with the right conditions - I figured I'd have enough to spare to move into my nano, sump, etc.

However I now find myself in an interesting position.......... I have HUNDREDS, in the upper ranges of that definition, of arms flailing everywhere in my wee tank, these guys have gone and tripled since I got the tank about 6 months ago, and although I'm quite happy that I have so many - I wonder if there's a market for them, or if they're going to continue to increase the bioload in my tank?

I know that, akin to snails, etc., they make a great cleanup crew addition, but am I going to get overrun? If so, anyone want to buy a few mini brittle stars?? ;)

[justinl]

I think the first problem you're going to run in to is not far off. with that many brittles in such concentration, food is going to get scarce very fast and i think the small ones will starve unless they go after supplemental food. I would remove them asap. keep an eye on water quality in case a bunch die.

[Salmon King]

Are they little white ones.

[christyf5]

I find populations of those wax and wane in my tank. I'm sure some of your fellow reefers would happily take donations though :wink:

[kwirky]

I think I have the same things showing up in my own tank, but not in that large of number. I thought they were fireworms, but they're striped grey/black, don't really have fuzz, and one end of the "worms" never leaves one spot. are these brittlestars too? they hang around underneath some of the plastic frag plugs in one end of the tank.

[bubblepuffer]

I see many baby bristle stars in my nano in the garage. .I don't bother them a lot. .most of them come with the coral I bought..they hidden under the zoo and rock.. It's a baby bristles that will never grow big. Some fish will take care of it.. =) especially Valentini Puffer .. she is a cutie and curious about anything move inside the tank.

Once I put the Valentini into the Nano tank, you can mostly hear all those invert and crittles yell out .. OMG.. run for your life..

[Salmon King]

I have at least 50 in my tank on the glass.I have given 5o away too.These are little white ones/not sure what kind the are.

[christyf5]

I have at least 50 in my tank on the glass.I have given 5o away too.These are little white ones/not sure what kind the are.

I believe you are talking about the Asterina stars:

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/asterina.jpg

Andsoitgoes is talking about mini brittle stars:

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/brittlestar.jpg


:biggrin:

[Salmon King]

Mine are quite white.I will see if I can get a friend to post a picture.They seem to multiply quite fast.There all over my glass.

[andsoitgoes]

I believe you are talking about the Asterina stars:

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/asterina.jpg

Andsoitgoes is talking about mini brittle stars:

http://www.xtalworld.com/Aquarium/brittlestar.jpg


:biggrin:

LOL - yes, what she said! When the power went out and the wife went hunting to find if everything was okay, she came across a massive mini Brittle.

What's interesting is that as time is going on, more and MORE are reproducing, so obviously there is enough food getting to them in order to reproduce - I did lose one that I saw, which my urchin took care of (weird) but that was due to it being stuck in between the suction cup and the side of the tank :D

I'm happy to share the wealth with these lil'uns, pm me if you're interested in picking a few up, and then we can go fishing!! ;)