ID big starfish & weird stuff growing

Davoaldo · #1 01/01/2008, 09:57 AM

I recently got these new starfish and was just wondering what it is and what it eats.

small one came with the live rocks

big one, just love it so got it without asking a questions about it.

I'm very new to the hobby and lots of funny things are starting to grow and i'm getting scared after i heard about those scary Aiptasia.

no idea what this black&white thing is, growing pretty fast and its got a mouth kinda thing in the middle that will open and close.

Also the bubble and the thing next to it are starting to grow... are they bad?

NanoReefWanabe · #2 01/02/2008, 09:12 AM

the little red star is a scavenger...will eat poop and any food it can get too before the crabs and snails do..mine died within 4 months though..

the big pretty brown star looks like a choclate chip...but i am not sure...however the "horns" on its topside indicate it is a hunter...and will likely eat pieces of shrimp/ krill/ silversides...

the others need better pics..

bubble algae is bad....or can be...left alone it may never do anything...if disturbed you are in for a world of hurt...do not pop the bubble under the water as the spores will spread like wild fire and your tank will be filled with the stuff..if you have no other coral or live stock you can try an emerald mithrax crab...which should eat it..
some people like the look of it in their tanks...me not so much...

as for the thing beside it i cant tell what it is, looks like it could be just a small feather duster...does it retreat into a tube super fast if you scare it with your finger or some sort of tool? looks like it could also be a bleached out zoanthid or button polyp trying for a second chance at life...either way both of these would be fine in any tank..

Davoaldo · #3 01/02/2008, 09:19 PM

I just feed the chocolate chip star some dry weat noodles and it ate it all.... is it bad for them? Or as long as they eat its ok?.

Yeah both the tube and the bubble strinks if you go near it.
Same as the white zoanthid thing, it seems like it spreading by the day the black and white patch is getting bigger and bigger.

Oh my tank is fish and inverts only, haven't started with corals.

gjm258 · #4 01/04/2008, 06:26 PM

Enjoy the small star while it lasts, the curled up tips on it's arms is a sign that it's going to die soon. The other star is not a chocolate chip. Noodles are a really bad idea and so is buying something without asking any questions. Try feeding it meaty frozen fish food and make sure the food is thawed before you put it in the tank.