[dinor2]

I believe my brittle star has had babies! I saw three tiny sea stars in my overflow where I have lots of hair algae and some cheato... sea stars ARE asexual, right? Or could these be a 'pest' kind of sea star? I'll post a pic later if there's a chance they're not critters I want but, they're definitly sea stars! Body shape is just like my adult one, pentagon? in shape, skinny long arms...

And, I guess they're happy in my overflow/refugium so leave 'em be? or will they eat my pods?

[CrazeUK]

Hey dont know much about sea stars.
but...do you have any photos for the people to see?

[tonguis]

Yes, they have babies, like rabbits in my aquarium. If you ever see these white little star like thingys floating through the water column, that is a baby (almost looks like one of those weeds floating/tumbling in the air). I have never bought a sea star, but i have hundreds of the buggers in my aquarium hiding. I think they are some pygmy form of the big ones because they dont get big (about the size of a nickel including the arms) my coriss and chrysus wrasses are always eating them, which keeps them in check. But in your refugium, yes they will eat pods, I always take them out when I see them in my fuge.

Hope this helps?

[dinor2]

Ok, will post a pic or two later after the lights come on. I was wondering why I haven't seen many pods in my fuge but all over my tank! I'll try to suck them out with the turkey baster and put them in the main tank. I want to get a yellow corris wrasse or a colorful one, need to do more research I guess.

So, guess too many of these babies aren't a good thing, guess too much of anything isn't a good thing!

[Lmecher]

Here is some further info on micro brittle stars. I have plenty of them and always heard they're beneficial. : )
coppied from wetwebmedia.com
Micro Brittle Stars 4/16/06
I found what looks like about a dozen baby brittle stars hiding in the green algae in my seahorse tank. I had 2 yellow with green banded brittle stars in
the tank for a short while, but moved the larger one to another tank. Should I move the babies to another tank / someplace safer?
<I think it may be a mistake to jump to the conclusion that these are offspring, they may what most aquarists call “micro” brittle stars, smaller versions of the big cousins that rarely reach over an 1”, quite common and good detritivores……..leave them be.>
They are about 1 cm across (tip to tip of legs), so I don't think the seahorses will eat them,
<It is possible but they reproduce quite quickly, I really wouldn’t worry either way, just enjoy.>
but there is a fire shrimp in there as well, although I've never seen him in the algae. What should I be feeding them?
<They will eat detritus and leftovers, if there is a fair amount of them they likely have a food source.>
Would the two starfish reproduce again if they are together, or is this a fluke?
<Likely not a reproduction but another much smaller species.>
Thanks for any advice.
Kim
<Adam J.>