Asterina Eating Blue Tubs???

[easterly81]

I have a lot of asterina stars and I recently had a low mag problem which killed most of my coralline algae. Ever since, they have been doing what only seems like eating my blue tubs. I have lots of other zoanthids but they only go after the tubs. I was wondering if it possible for asterina stars to start eating corals? I have been living with them for years with no problems i can only guess they were eating the tons of coralline i had before it all died.

Oh out of spite I got a Harlequin shrimp today and it is doing a great job eating them. I prob should get a six line wrasse to try to eat the larva. Does anyone think this is a good plan of attack to get rid of the asterina star, or at least control them? Stinks cause i had to put my brittle star in my sump for time being

 

[stpauli914]

My pair of Harlequins doesn't mess with my brittle stars. I did put my blue linkia in the fuge though. I have problems with asterinas getting on some of my zoas as well. I don't think they eat them, just bother them so much they die. Seems like they get right on top of the polyps and suffocate them to death. I wish there was an easy way to eradicate the buggers.

Aaron

 

[dalston]

It is absolutley possible for asternia stars to eat healthy corals. There are hundreds of species of asternia, some being harmless grazers, but some known coral eaters. I have personally experienced them eating zoanthids and a healthy growing birdsnest. Telling the difference between good and bad is near on impossible so I just remove any that I see regardless.

You harlequin should take care of them for the most part, you can also just manually remove any you see.

 

[easterly81]

My pair of Harlequins doesn't mess with my brittle stars. I did put my blue linkia in the fuge though. I have problems with asterinas getting on some of my zoas as well. I don't think they eat them, just bother them so much they die. Seems like they get right on top of the polyps and suffocate them to death. I wish there was an easy way to eradicate the buggers.

Aaron

I was also wonder if i was being to paranoid about the brittle star? Its at least 10" across and the shrimp is only about an inch and a half.

 

[Lateralus]

I would think the brittle would just crawl under a rock or something. I wouldnt worry too much.

 

[chilake08]

I am actually dealing with this very problem right now. I just had one of the hundreds of asterina take a bite out of a brand new zoa. Just one bite, but I can see the hole that he left in its side. So i'm trying to decide if I want to manually rid my tank of them, or buy a harlequin.

 

[easterly81]

It seems i have a few different types the dark one is the one doing the damage as far as i have seen.

My shrimp Died

 

[tlpmyd]

i have a ton in my tank as well and believe this is the cause for alot of my sps problems, i finally bought a harlq.shrimp but i kept my eye on it for about a week, and i didnt see it going after the asternia starfish at all, now after about a week, i dont see it? not sure if it died or is in hiding? there is no way the shrimp couldnt see any of the little starfish like i said my tank is plagued by them and was getting tired of picking them out one by one and thought the shrimp would have a field day once in my tank. hopefully its still alive.

 

[easterly81]

Nope found it and it is dead, going to get another one later today.

 

[tlpmyd]

i have a few big brittle starfish and a nice red linkia and i havent seen my harlq. shrimp go after any of them, i think mine might have died also. i might try buying a pair next time.