acro eating star or other issue?

[erky]

Is there such a thing, i have a bit of tissue loss on a coral or two. I checked on my tank the other night and saw a star on one where the issue was happening. Could these little stars be eating the flesh of my acro?

I have dipped this coral and found nothing as far as other pests on it, multiple times a few weeks apart.

I know these seem like your normal Asterina stars, but i am just confused on this one right now.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Some species of asterina stars do eat SPS coral but I've read they will sometimes do it due to the coral tissue dying or decaying. Any other thoughts #reefsquad?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Some species of asterina stars do eat SPS coral but I've read they will sometimes do it due to the coral tissue dying or decaying. Any other thoughts #reefsquad?

Agreed. I've never heard of them intentionally going after good healthy sps.

 

[erky]

Some species of asterina stars do eat SPS coral but I've read they will sometimes do it due to the coral tissue dying or decaying. Any other thoughts #reefsquad?

Thanks for the quick response, thoughts on removal? Harlequin shrimp; i do have a sand sifting star i still like, I would just need to throw it in the sump or something for a while.

This coral has never looked the best, maybe it is just a fluke (pun) I will watch it more and dip it one more time, then maybe frag and glue on a new plug to see if anything goes after it.

 

[29bonsaireef]

Yeah, usually asterina will only feed on sps if the tissue is already weak or decaying. Still, I wouldn't say there's not a chance they could be effecting healthy sps. Maybe look into get a harlequin shrimp they work really well at eliminating asterina stars. You can always sell or trade them back to your lfs once they've cleaned out your tank.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Thanks for the quick response, thoughts on removal? Harlequin shrimp; i do have a sand sifting star i still like, I would just need to throw it in the sump or something for a while.

This coral has never looked the best, maybe it is just a fluke (pun) I will watch it more and dip it one more time, then maybe frag and glue on a new plug to see if anything goes after it.

How many asterina stars do you have? I just take them out when I see them and haven't see any in my tank in over a year.

Throwing the sand sifting star in the sump "for a while" will only be a temporary solution if the harlequin dies after taking care of the asterina stars, an option that I don't believe is in the best interest of either animal. I would either rehome the sand sifting star or find a different solution than the harlequin shrimp.

 

[happyhourhero]

Can you get a closer pic of the underside of the coral? Specifically in the dead area and the upper branches where it looks like there could be AEFW bite marks. Those egg cases on the pink area are suspect as well. Not of AEFW but something else.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Can you get a closer pic of the underside of the coral? Specifically in the dead area and the upper branches where it looks like there could be AEFW bite marks. Those egg cases on the pink area are suspect as well. Not of AEFW but something else.

Those are nerite snail eggs, or at least that's what they look like to me.

 

[erky]

Can you get a closer pic of the underside of the coral? Specifically in the dead area and the upper branches where it looks like there could be AEFW bite marks. Those egg cases on the pink area are suspect as well. Not of AEFW but something else.

yeah no problem, I really am thinking no on the AEFW, i have dipped some other corals b/c of a local scare in the area and who i trade with and have not seen anything. I will get pics when i can.

 

[happyhourhero]

Thats good. Those guys are no fun at all. As far as the Harlequin goes, I have a pretty good population of asternias and I added a shrimp. It took about 2 months to clear them. I traded it off for a frag one i thought it had gotten them all (it didnt).

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Some asterina stars will definitely eat healthy coral. They are usually the ones with darker mottled coloring... which looks to be the ones you have based on your pic.

Harlequin is the best way to get rid of them.

 

[erky]

only things that came off in the dip i just did,

 

[nashorn]

When I had AEFW it kinda look your pic.
Hope I'm wrong.
If it was me I would just cut the healthy parts and toss the rest.

 

[erky]

When I had AEFW it kinda look your pic.
Hope I'm wrong.
If it was me I would just cut the healthy parts and toss the rest.

What i plan to do, just weird when i dip i get no deaths of anything else. I did see another star on a cali tort last night it had black spots on it (star) so i will see if there is any damage today when i get home from work.
I also dipped a Garf Bansi that showed a tissue spot midway up its stalk, and nothing came off if it in the form of flatworms, just normal pods.

Other than this coral, everthing else looks fantastic, PE is great and colors are booming!

 

[nashorn]

They most likely eating the algae but who knows maybe u have the bad ones...lol

 

[erky]

They most likely eating the algae but who knows maybe u have the bad ones...lol

what algae?

 

[Rakie]

The coral is dying and the asterina is eating the dying tissue, they will also eat the algae that begins to grow (almost immediately) on white coral skeleton, which is why they get their bad rep.

Asterina don't eat healthy corals, they eating dead/dying flesh of corals, and the algae that grow on their skeletons. I have hundreds of them in a relatively small SPS only tank. If they were eating my SPS I'd know.

And no -- I have the dark colored 'mottled' ones too. They do not eat SPS. Never once seen anything close to proof on that, just old wives (reefer) tales.

 

[Mirkus]

The coral is dying and the asterina is eating the dying tissue, they will also eat the algae that begins to grow (almost immediately) on white coral skeleton, which is why they get their bad rep.

Asterina don't eat healthy corals, they eating dead/dying flesh of corals, and the algae that grow on their skeletons. I have hundreds of them in a relatively small SPS only tank. If they were eating my SPS I'd know.

And no -- I have the dark colored 'mottled' ones too. They do not eat SPS. Never once seen anything close to proof on that, just old wives (reefer) tales.

I'll have to disagree.... I have Asterina's in my tank that eat/bother sps. They are the big ugly ones with colors. I have witnessed them crawl onto base do what they do, and leave a white spot.

 

[Rakie]

I'll have to disagree.... I have Asterina's in my tank that eat/bother sps. They are the big ugly ones with colors. I have witnessed them crawl onto base do what they do, and leave a white spot.

I would say they crawl onto that base to eat a spot of dying tissue. Unless you have something that are being misidentified as Asterina -- which is also very possible.

It's not at all uncommon for SPS to be bothered by something and have localized tissue health suffer. I had a piece of filter floss wrap around a coral I didn't notice, figured i'll get it in the morning as it was very late -- next day that area was dying.

Also, my snails will often shift my corals on the frag rack around -- One piece touches another for a few hours, and you have a dead spot. The stars will be drawn to it, and are, very regularly. They clean up that area and move on.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

The coral is dying and the asterina is eating the dying tissue, they will also eat the algae that begins to grow (almost immediately) on white coral skeleton, which is why they get their bad rep.

Asterina don't eat healthy corals, they eating dead/dying flesh of corals, and the algae that grow on their skeletons. I have hundreds of them in a relatively small SPS only tank. If they were eating my SPS I'd know.

And no -- I have the dark colored 'mottled' ones too. They do not eat SPS. Never once seen anything close to proof on that, just old wives (reefer) tales.

I used to go around posting this on all the asterina threads too... until I got the strain that eats SPS.

Nobody is saying all asterina eat corals. But there is at least one type that does. Just because yours don’t eat coral, doesn’t mean it’s not happening to other people.