asternia stars...

[SVXH6]

ok so just caught these asternia stars eating my ORA blue tort.. there is a spot at the base where it was already encrusted, and a small spot in the middle of the main branch.. should I let it go and see how it is tomorrow or should I frag? I can't poat a pic. I just don't want it to RTN fro this.. anyone have this happen before? if so, what did you do?

 

[SVXH6]

and both of thses spots happened in about a two hour window.. I looked at the tort before I made dinner..made dinner and then looked at the tank again and found the stars and thses two spots of flesh missing off my tort. the tort has been doing reaaly good up until this just happened...

 

[IPT]

can't comment on the cause, but i have has SPS with areas that lost tissue. Most regenerated. I even had one that has big dead spot because of an ALK spike disaster. Some algae was starting to grow on it (light stuff) and over time the SPS grew right over it.

Maybe the Tort is less tough, but I would just watch it beofre doing anything. If it really starts RTN'ing or continues to STN then probabaly frag. Just my thought...

 

[ros_sco]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12710775#post12710775 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by IPT
over time the SPS grew right over it.

I would just watch it before doing anything. If it really starts RTN'ing or continues to STN then probabaly frag. Just my thought...

I agree. In my system, damage usually is just re-encrusted. I would keep a lookout for more stars as well.

 

[em805]

Agree with both posts above, however, I would add that asterinas reproduce relatively fast. While your coral may recover fairly rapidly from light damage from a few stars, you may not be so lucky if the asterina population gets out of control.

In my tank, for example, it started with a few asterinas that rarely wondered onto an sps and mainly fed on algea. I thought they were the "safe kind" that only fed on algea, however, as the population increased and there was less coraline for them to feed on, and I started noticing them on my sps due to food competition. Well, long story short, my cali tort paid the price after I found about 10-15 stars feeding on it one morning. I keep a harlequin shrimp in my tank now, and siphon as many out of my tank as I can during water changes.

That's been my experience, hope it helps.

 

[seafansar]

When the starfish eat the coral, do they eat the polyps too? I'm still trying to figure out what lunched on my acro frag. The tissue was missing in a strip, but not the polyps. It's since then grown back the tissue.

 

[OceanDweller]

Crazy little devils

 

[mmotown]

I had this happen in my 150. Those little stars reproduce like rabbits. I added 1 harliquin shrimp and they are all gone!!!!

 

[ozadars]

A bigger one ate a 2" hystrix frag totally!

 

[Lagger]

I hate these little [violation]!!! Anyone know what the damage looks like?

 

[trueblackpercula]

I am still not convinced that they eat corals.............can anyone out there show some documentation that they do in deed eat corals(Sps)
Michael

 

[IPT]

I have also heard that they do not eat SPS. I think there was another thread about a while ago. Something about bluish looking ones not being safe, but the others OK. Don't quote me on it though as I have no experience with them either way. There are a few in my tank but I have not seen any causing issues.

 

[madadi]

garf.org has a little write up on the type that eat acros. search their site. i have them in my tank but they never bothered my sps. they are a bit reddish. i did catch one eat a pally once!

 

[ozadars]

Well, I saw it eat in front of my eyes. The hystrix was very healthy piece. Then the little star came and attached to the base. Just a couple of hours later it was moving upper parts and the area it left behind was all gone.

 

[NewbieForever]

I do feel there is more then one type of these stars. I had some that seemed to ignore SPS and a darker looking type that were found every now and again on sps munching away. I dont think the were activly seeking out the sps but more wondered onto them and munched away.

 

[trueblackpercula]

wOW that site on garf is incredalbe...I will need to get some shrimp to eat the infestation i have in my Sps tank.
thanks everyone
michael

 

[tangdiver]

They eat dead or dying things....not live....IMO coral already had issues.

Grant

 

[Mahlhavoc]

I tend to disagree. . I never worried and thought other were crazy until 20 minutes ago and I had a larger one on the bottom of my ora green nest . . I picked it off curiously and sure enough below is in a 1/4" by 1/4" area it was white as a ghost.


Here is my question, do the Harliquin shrimp eat ALL starfish, like brittles and serpents? If so, then I guess I gotta pull these bad boys out.

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12797943#post12797943 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mahlhavoc
I tend to disagree. . I never worried and thought other were crazy until 20 minutes ago and I had a larger one on the bottom of my ora green nest . . I picked it off curiously and sure enough below is in a 1/4" by 1/4" area it was white as a ghost.


Here is my question, do the Harliquin shrimp eat ALL starfish, like brittles and serpents? If so, then I guess I gotta pull these bad boys out.

harlequin shrimp eat all starfish and only their feet, they will not eat anything but live starfish feet.


asternias make me nervous i pull them when i see them, around the time my old tank had all the RTN STN going on their population exploded... i am not positive there was a correlation but i am aware of it.

 

[roblack]

I have at least 100 or more asterina stars in my tank. Had a micro colony that was dying, and they were all over it. Ate all of the dead/dying polyps (50+). Left 2 alone, and they are now thriving and spreading again. The asterinas are still in the tank and do not bother them (micros) or other corals. Not sure if I have the peaceful kind or if they just eat dying tissue. Mixed SPS /LPS tank, nothing appears to be suffering at the moment, but I do have alot of coraline algae,etc. HTH.