Micro-Brittle Stars

[DianaKay]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]
I think these are supposed to be good hitchhikers....but they seem to be WAY OVER POPULATING in my tank.
Any suggestions on what to do?
There are little white legs everywhere...these pics where taken before the lights came on this morning, but I see them during the day too. :bugout: worried about having too many.

 

[nivek]

I have tons of them in my refuge and DT as well

 

[Kremlin]

if u have a fuge u could put them in there. they are beneficial and stay that size. i have a bout 3 in my little fuge on my 28.

 

[DianaKay]

I don't have a fuge YET...will have one in January (LifeReef) I'm not sure there's not BAD in overpopulation???
Live Sand has taken on a new meaning in my tank....

[/IMG]

 

[Mike Johnson]

They are fantastic CUC members and I don't think you can have too many. If there's not detritus for them to eat the population will thin by itself.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

+1 ^ !

 

[DianaKay]

I'm wondering if I have so many because I don't have any crabs or fish that eat them. ????
I am thinking I want to get a mandarin after I get my sump (tank will be a year old then) and I'd like for my population of pods to be HIGH. So, will this over population of micro-brittle stars have an effect on my pod population? Does anyone know? ....wish I already had my sump/refugium, hummm...Patience again: too big a part of this hobby. I could be trapping some of these boogers to put in my fuge :idea:
But, no fuge yet

 

[sixline]

Aw, stop yer complainin'!

I just bought some brittle stars and detritivores to get my tank seeded and am waiting for the brittle stars to reproduce. That's the funny thing about this hobby - you'll have one post asking how to start the spread of xenia or coralline or brittle stars, and another asking how to get rid of that very same thing!

As Mike said above, the population will reach it's own equilibrium. Sounds like you currently have no (or few) brittle star predators.

 

[DianaKay]

Aw, stop yer complainin'!

I just bought some brittle stars and detritivores to get my tank seeded and am waiting for the brittle stars to reproduce. That's the funny thing about this hobby - you'll have one post asking how to start the spread of xenia or coralline or brittle stars, and another asking how to get rid of that very same thing!

As Mike said above, the population will reach it's own equilibrium. Sounds like you currently have no (or few) brittle star predators.

LOL! That's right and I have wanted a SixLine Wrasse cause I think they are so pretty & I like the way they swim about. There are things I've heard about the SixLines that makes me think "I better NOT get one!"
Do SixLines eat micro-brittle stars?
Just thinking a refugium is a good thing to have cause I'll have a place to house MORE STUFF.

 

[AC273]

No in my experience. Six-lines eat smaller things like pods and sometimes flat worms. Melanarus wrasse are more of the hunters and would eat baby brittle stars, baby snails, flat worms, pods, brittle worms, and pretty much anything else they think they can swallow. Don't seem to bother my SPS or LPS though, so I don't mind the lack of small critters in my display. That is what the sump is for.

 

[ddelozier]

You could box up all you can catch and send em to me LOL. I started my tank with nearly all Dry rock, so in trying to avoid all the nasty hichikers, i also missed out on all the good ones.

 

[Mike Johnson]

You could box up all you can catch and send em to me LOL. I started my tank with nearly all Dry rock, so in trying to avoid all the nasty hichikers, i also missed out on all the good ones.

I made that offer to you once. Well, the update is I don't have as many little ones as I used to. Used to have thousands. After the Coral Banded Shrimp ate all the bristle worms, it started in on the micro brittles and the Asterina. I still have the bigger ones in the other tank, which really are not that common. I'll still send you a few of each to get your population started if you want.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I'm wondering if I have so many because I don't have any crabs or fish that eat them. ????
I am thinking I want to get a mandarin after I get my sump (tank will be a year old then) and I'd like for my population of pods to be HIGH. So, will this over population of micro-brittle stars have an effect on my pod population? Does anyone know? ....wish I already had my sump/refugium, hummm...Patience again: too big a part of this hobby. I could be trapping some of these boogers to put in my fuge :idea:
But, no fuge yet

Micro Brittle Stars don't eat anything except detritus, which is why I said they are great.