Micro-Brittle Stars?

[DianaKay]

Are these too BIG to be micro-brittle stars?

I've always had smaller white micro-brittle stars (and there's a tiny one in the photo) but I've never seen them get as BIG as these are.
They were hiding in some chaeto that I'm tossing out of my refugium.
If they aren't micro-brittles, are they reef safe?

 

[DianaKay]

A dime to compare:

 

[Mike Johnson]

I'm sure you can google it. The micro brittle stars from the Indo-Pacific grow larger than their Atlantic cousins. Two inches in diameter would be normal. They are prized among saltwater aquarists.

 

[blackbeltmom]

Yes, they are micro brittle stars. Like Mike said, they come in different sizes depending on where they originate from.

 

[brad65ford]

Love them, they look awesome in a tank

 

[Choff]

I just put dozen in my DT

...stupid auto correct

 

[Snid]

Save those Stars!... If you don't want them, send 'em my way, heheh...

 

[DianaKay]

Thanks for the info! I did return them to my refugium.
I think I'm sometimes a little OCD when I remove excess chaeto from my system I tend to pull it all apart to save all the little tiny lives that are hidden in it.
I hate to throw away the massive amounts of beautiful green chaeto also but with Bryopsis in my DT showing up...I can't feel good about donating it to the LFS or anyone
I hope these stars & all the tiny white ones can survive the magnesium levels it will take to kill Bryopsis :fingerx:

 

[Creekview]

I have bunches in my tanks, some are red and white, most are the black and white. They can get very large, I have one that must span a foot or more.

 

[Oxylebius]

Di, those are a fine size to keep. I'd watch any larger brittle stars and would probably pull them out: here a good :read: Recent article, June 2014 on brittle stars. Main take away, keep the small ones, watch if they get larger, and you may have to pull the larger brittle stars if you see them eating cuc (larger as in size of your hand).

 

[Mike Johnson]

"there are numerous species of relatively tiny brittle stars that live in rocks, sponges, and/or corals, which typically have very thin arms that are quite fuzzy looking. These are the common hitchhikers I mentioned above, which can get into your aquarium when live rock, corals, etc. are added to it. So, you might find one (or lots of them) living in your aquarium at some time, but these are nothing to worry about. I've never seen any of these do any harm to whatever they were living in/on, and they don't require any special feeding. These can fend for themselves quite well, and oftentimes reproduce in captivity, as well."

A quote from the article. ^^^ I've never seen a brittle star harm anything. Except for a very large Green Brittle Star.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I'd like to know how old they live. I've had this one for over 9 years and the person I got it from had it for two years before me. It's never bothered anything and is over a foot in diameter. It's in my main reef tank now. Rarely ever comes out of its rock.

 

[DianaKay]

I think the ones in my tank must be the ones that stay small?
I can't imagine them growing so big since there are so many many many of them then again, the ones I took out & took that picture of are way bigger than I knew I had in my tank.

 

[ddelozier]

I have TONS of em in my DT. Got some seasoned rock from a fellow reefer, and within 2 mo, every crevice in my tank has some little legs sticking out. Getting them to come out might be a challenge, but i sure do have a ton.