Tiny starfish pests starting to take over...

ghstrider

ghstrider

New member
i have these tiny fat grey little starfish (size of a small gemstone) that feel almost rock-like and i take them out when i see them on the glass but after a close inspection of my rock i am noticing they are all over. i dont have a pic yet but i heard they were bad for the tank and that they breed quickly. Does anyone know what im talking about? Name? What should i do? Should i be concerned?

I thought of getting a harlequin shrimp but i dont know if that will help or if it will damage anything else. plus i have a serpent star now and he would become lunch. Input please.
 
They are called Asterina stars. They are harmless. Some people have claimed that they munch on corals, but as far as I'm concerned, It's a wive's tale. I haven't read of anyone personally having that problem. They will multiply, but shouldn't cause your reef any harm.

asterina.jpg
 
The name escapes me at the moment I think it stats with an A. I have a whole bunch of them in my tank. Some eat coral, but if you don't see them eating your coral you have nothing to worry about. Most munch algae. Unless you see them doing something bad be happy you have them.
 
well thats a relief that they are good guys... so i shouldnt be concerned even if they keep reproducing? Also has anyone had 1st hand experience of them munching on corals and if so which ones?? sps?lps?zoos? thanks
 
If they keep reproducing, it just means you have enough 'stuff' in the tank for them to munch on still. Once you run out of things for them to eat, they will slow down with the dividing. Useful, self-maintaining little critters.

In few instances that people have claimed Asterina stars were damaging their tank, it was almost always SPS coral or Zoanthids. Ive never had any kind of issue, and have never seen any proof that they were the causative agents (note that it is entirely possible, and not uncommon, for them to eat sick/dying polyps though- simply scavenging unhealthy tissue).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10715607#post10715607 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bud's Reef
You should be concerned especially if you have zoas! Here is a link to a discussion of Asterinas decimating zoa colonies. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1180447. Most asterinas are probably reef safe, but I started removing everyone I see once I saw one on one of my zoas. He may have just been passing by but I wasn't going to wait to find out.
Click to expand...



I wouldnt read too much into that. The Zoa people think everything eats zoas, and are unwilling to admit it when their colonies are angry because of bad water quality. That thread has a colony that definitely is not healthy, and the asterinas are just acting as cleaners, and eating the dying tissue.

IIRC, there are a couple hundred species of asterina, and there are a couple that are coralivores. Theyre all larger (like 1") and more colorful.

Notice on the Garf page linked, that the species eating corals is much larger, and completely different looking.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10714309#post10714309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by magdelan
Some people have claimed that they munch on corals, but as far as I'm concerned, It's a wive's tale.
Click to expand...

Well, this damage:

stylophora.jpg


was done by this asterina:

asterina.jpg


I watched it happen. It's not a myth. Pretty rare from what I've been able to tell, but not a myth.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10715742#post10715742 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hyperfocal
Well, this damage:

stylophora.jpg


was done by this asterina:

asterina.jpg


I watched it happen. It's not a myth. Pretty rare from what I've been able to tell, but not a myth.
Click to expand...

Right, but thats not the species that most people have, its a completely different one, so saying that "asterinas eat corals", while true, is misleading.
 
I think all advice and experiences here should be taken with a grain of salt, especially mine. As I said most are probably reef safe but if in doubt I'd rather err on the side of removing them.
 
Right, but thats not the species that most people have, its a completely different one, so saying that "asterinas eat corals", while true, is misleading.
Click to expand...

Ok, but I didn't say "asterinas eat coral." I replied to a posting saying that the idea of asterinas eating corals was an old wives tale, providing evidence to the contrary. Nothing I said was misleading. :confused:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10716874#post10716874 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hyperfocal
Ok, but I didn't say "asterinas eat coral." I replied to a posting saying that the idea of asterinas eating corals was an old wives tale, providing evidence to the contrary. Nothing I said was misleading. :confused:
Click to expand...

I know, but his post was in response to a post that was basically "OMG, Asterinas eat everything," so by refuting him, you're in a way affirming the other post, which is what I had a problem with.
 
I have like 4 of them in my tank, I cant get them to reproduce, I really like them, but I only see like one a month.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10715679#post10715679 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
the asterinas are just acting as cleaners, and eating the dying tissue.
Click to expand...


That statement is very misleading.

The same thing was said about amphipods, it was false as well.
 
I have watched "bad water quality" get on top of zoas and munch. I pull them at every chance out of both systems.
 
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