MBVette May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 I have been finding a bunch of these guys in the tank recently and just pulled a bunch off a leather that is now all closed up. And how do I get rid kf these? Most are pretty small but some are a bit bigger and the ones in the sump are about 3/4" across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcrazyjoker81 May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 That is a asterina star I believe. I hear harlequin shrimp eat them. Other than that just picking them out. Here is an article about them: http://www.reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 ive got a million too scott..if you decide to get a shrimp ill help you feed him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 That is a asterina star I believe. I hear harlequin shrimp eat them. Other than that just picking them out. Here is an article about them: http://www.reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101- I agree with the above. Their population will adjust based on available food. Personally, I do not believe that they are anything but a beneficial scavenger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 29, 2014 Author Share May 29, 2014 I cant put a shrimp in b/c I have a pair of blue throat triggers that eat shrimp in the matter of minutes (They took down a dozen cleaners when I put them in the tank) I had hopes they would leave the shrimp alone since they were there first, but was very wrong. I would put the lifespan of a harlequin shrimp in my tank at about 45 seconds from when it hits the water. Are you sure these are asterina's? I have never seen them get this large (granted the display population is small in size bc I bet the triggers eat them) but they were on a leather that has closed up tightly. I thought asterina's dont bother corals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcrazyjoker81 May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 I am 99% sure they are asterina. I have a couple that are pretty big too. I plan on getting a linkia as I hear they eat them too. Sounds like manual removal for you. Also from reefkeeping is this: Asterina sea stars have been accused, unfairly at times, for preying on coral tissue. While some individuals appear to eat some desirable reef invertebrates, the problem may be a simple matter of an opportunistic predator adapting to a change in the available, preferred foods (worms, algae). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 29, 2014 Author Share May 29, 2014 Yeah I just read the article, and know a bit about them. Just strange that a coral that was healthy recently is not all closed up and had about 20 of them on there. Not sure whats going on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcrazyjoker81 May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 Yeah I just read the article, and know a bit about them. Just strange that a coral that was healthy recently is not all closed up and had about 20 of them on there. Not sure whats going on there. See this is what happens when water quality is too good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 Perhaps your leather had just shed and the stars were eating the mucous coating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 29, 2014 Author Share May 29, 2014 (edited) That water quality probably sucks. I just did a water change for the first time in probably 3 months a few minutes ago. lol Nah I know its pretty good, but not perfect. But doing 100 gallon change today to clean it up Edited May 29, 2014 by MBVette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette May 29, 2014 Author Share May 29, 2014 Perhaps your leather had just shed and the stars were eating the mucous coating? ahhh thats a good call, and could make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjamaya May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 Yeah I hate those guys!!! If you have any corals that are a little stress they exploit it and eat them. just try not to cut them in your tank as they will just multiply... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 Had many aterinas. I diligently picked them out with tweezers especially at night. Haven't seen one in a couple years. You can erdicate them if you are diligent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 Asterina. I consider them a pest and take them out if I see them. This was the first report I read of them years ago. Since then, there have been many discussions about them. A few other discussions on WAMAS: Asterina Star Eating Zoas Starfish Eating Zoas Asterina Sp. Stars Asterina Starfish, Should I take them out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnevo May 29, 2014 Share May 29, 2014 They started multiplying in my tank a while back. At first i was amused. They didnt bother anybody... Then my generic pink pallys started to thin out. Then I'd find them attached to the baby zoa heads in my zoa garden and every day a different set of zoas would be all closed up. The population was starting to get large but I had no idea how large...either way I was picking them off my zoas multiple times a day. I finally got a pair of harlequin's and they've been taking care of everything. When I first got them i would wake up and HUNDREDS were on my glass and still could find on the rocks, etc. i had no idea it had gotten to that point. I was happily of the mindset that they were beneficial scavengers but I think at some point they run out of things to scavenge and zoas are easy for them. A good way to control without going the harlequin route is catch em in the morning usually there are a lot on the glass. Use a net and scrape them off and they'll fall in. I'd usually get 15-20 a day. Do that for a few days and you significantly lower what those would have become. But i think it would take a lot to rid completely if that were even possible. Right now I have to say my harlequin are a great addition. They are cool looking and take care of business. However there are certainly sustainability and ethical issues with taking these creatures out of the ocean so make that decision carefully. It's obviously not an option for you anyway, but figured I'd add that. Ultimately these things are a pest and i would recommend dispatching as many as possible. Find someone else who may have a harlequin that would like some or just toss then in the trash! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Reefs June 1, 2014 Share June 1, 2014 They can prey on zoas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 June 1, 2014 Share June 1, 2014 Maybe that was what happened to my zoas. I have only seen one in my tank. Time to send out a search party Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette June 3, 2014 Author Share June 3, 2014 Perhaps your leather had just shed and the stars were eating the mucous coating? So I think you were right Jason. The leather shed Sunday and is now opening up again, so I think all is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads June 3, 2014 Share June 3, 2014 So I think you were right Jason. The leather shed Sunday and is now opening up again, so I think all is good. That is great news! I am glad it was something simple, and not an attack of the killer starfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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