asterina star infestation, need killing advice

[prsnlty]

That's interesting. I rarely see one on the glass but that could be because my glass only needs to be wiped about 1 time per week. I also only blow out my rock once or twice a week before water changes.

I believe that rock covered in coraline (without crusting or plating caused by too much Ca in the WC) is healthy and it helps to keep unwanted algaes from taking root on them. In my tanks case this proved to be true. But all tanks are different. Good algae like good bacteria help keep the bad at bay.

Plus those devils bother the zoas.

Jackie

 

[prsnlty]

So any suggestions on getting brittle stars out of a 150 gal. I only ever see his legs.

Brittle stars are a good thing to have in your tank. They eat detritus and unwanted bacteria. But if you want to get them out you will have to start pulling rock to get at them. Unless you get lucky. But there is one thing you could try though it will attract your hermits as well. Put a piece of shrimp or a scallop in a piece of pantyhose and lay it on the sand bed in an easy to reach place.

 

[Naiad]

I know they are good. I wanted to get him out before adding any harlequins so he didn't get hurt. I love my brittles.

 

[Pete polyp]

That's interesting. I rarely see one on the glass but that could be because my glass only needs to be wiped about 1 time per week. I also only blow out my rock once or twice a week before water changes.

I believe that rock covered in coraline (without crusting or plating caused by too much Ca in the WC) is healthy and it helps to keep unwanted algaes from taking root on them. In my tanks case this proved to be true. But all tanks are different. Good algae like good bacteria help keep the bad at bay.

Plus those devils bother the zoas.

Jackie

I will constantly see them on the glass, and out seems more so at night.

I wipe the glass in this tank about every two weeks. I rarely have any film algae at all on the glass. This is what three glass looks like in the places I haven't wiped in 7 months.

They do keep the rocks completely cleared of coralline algae. As I have said before, I don't see am issue with having clean rock.

With them bothering zoa and paly... I see them more on the palys than I do on zoa. I am sure they do a little something to them because I have seen bite marks on the stems. I have not experienced any losses caused by them at all. Z/p grow like weeds in this tank. If they have somewhere to spread its not uncommon for them to grow one new polyp every day or two. I have had several different grow at this rate, and its actually becoming a nuisance to keep up with them.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Blue linkia starfish.

I didn't know this. I'll buying a blue linkia soon...

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I know they are good. I wanted to get him out before adding any harlequins so he didn't get hurt. I love my brittles.

From everything I've read, Harlequins won't eat the brittle stars.

 

[Beradd]

I don't think you will ever be rid of them ... I manually pull them out with tongs every time I see them and have been for months... I personally have seen them on the stalks and with there mouth directly over the hole of a closed up zoanthid. I did not see any harm to the zoa but I did remove the star as soon as I noticed it. they are not the kind of pest that u really need to stress over to badly in my opinion .... just pull em as u see em... there was a post a few days ago

 

[prsnlty]

It is odd how they behave differently in different tanks. Mine are out mostly in the daytime but rarely on the glass. And yes, they bother the palys more than the zoas but they can be seen on my larger polyp zoas occasionally and so far I have never seen them on the small polyp zoas. I've seen them on the leather but not on any large polyp stonies except for the bases also.

Before the contents of this tank moves into the 180 I am going to do as I said and see if it eradicates them. I do also know that a dip in bayer solution works but I'm nervous about doing that too much at once. Plus not everything can be dipped. Maybe the 6 line will be hungry enough to eat what's left after the move.

Jackie

 

[Beradd]

i started my tank from 8 year dead live rock and bagged sand. i have dipped every coral i have put in my tank... i still pull out atleast 3 a week now... the number is reducing as time goes by, but my point is even if u eradicate them, i think they will find a way back in ...

 

[prsnlty]

i started my tank from 8 year dead live rock and bagged sand. i have dipped every coral i have put in my tank... i still pull out atleast 3 a week now... the number is reducing as time goes by, but my point is even if u eradicate them, i think they will find a way back in ...

Ahhh the joys of reef keeping lol! Nature finds a way...

I have to say they aren't near as big a worry to me as the pyramid snails that just showed up at about the same time. Good thing the SB isn't moving also. Even then im hoping the dipping and scrubbing kills 2 birds with one stone. Never a dull moment

Jackie

 

[Pete polyp]

I have used Bayer dip on acro and there are plenty in the bottom of the bucket when I'm done. I have had the same results with coralrx as well. I don't know if they come off from basting the corals or if it kills them.

 

[prsnlty]

I have used Bayer dip on acro and there are plenty in the bottom of the bucket when I'm done. I have had the same results with coralrx as well. I don't know if they come off from basting the corals or if it kills them.

Good to know! I never dipped acros, worried they wouldn't fair well. What is your bayer/water ratio for dipping acros?

Jackie

 

[Pete polyp]

I can't really remember exactly. The first few times I measured and I want to say 100ml per gallon. Now I just dump a little in until the water turns cloudy. At 100ml per gallon it looked like milk. People are using anywhere from 3-10ml per 8oz of tank water. I have only been dipping new arrivals and I acclimate in a bucket, put the frag back into the bag it came in with the water from the bucket. then I add drops until it clouds up. I shake it around in the bag for about 30 seconds 3 times during a 5-10 minute dip. I week use the remaining water in the bucket to rinse it 5 times in a separate clean container. After that I rinse it in tank water. I had a tiny bit of this stuff find its way into my tank the first time I used it. I only rinsed twice, and this is why I rinse so many times. It killed my cleaner shrimp, pistol shrimp and all of my pods. It dang near crashed the tank with the increase in nutrients. So I suggest rinsing until you think you got all of it off, and rinsing 3 more times after that.

 

[prsnlty]

Thank you I normally set up 3 containers. The first I add only enough to start clouding the water. I dip for about 5 minutes, rinse for 15 and shaking on the next then 30 minutes on the last . If im doing a lot ill do a 4th bucket rinse. I've just been skeptical of dipping acros. I lost a green monticap once so I never attempted the acros.

Glad you saved your tank from a total crash!

Jackie

 

[Pete polyp]

Thank you I normally set up 3 containers. The first I add only enough to start clouding the water. I dip for about 5 minutes, rinse for 15 and shaking on the next then 30 minutes on the last . If im doing a lot ill do a 4th bucket rinse. I've just been skeptical of dipping acros. I lost a green monticap once so I never attempted the acros.

Glad you saved your tank from a total crash!

Jackie

From what I have read acro are safe with the exception of Acropora hyacinthus. Some people have reported killing red planets

 

[Tahoe61]

It is odd how they behave differently in different tanks.
Jackie

You can chalk that up to a couple different reasons. Types of Asterina for starters, there are hundreds of different types. Some are coral eaters (rarely), some algae such as green film, some coralline algae, other will actively eat zoanthids. To make it more complicated Asterina may become opportunistic feeders. It's difficult to ID type of Asterina by looks. As a generalization, grey blotchy ones sticking to the front glass are probably green algae eaters, blue coloration is sometimes coralline eaters, and I have even seen red/pink ones eat acropora.

Manual removal is your best bet.

 

[Morgosverlo]

I know an affective and very addicting way of removing these guys. Ever been Starfish gigging? It is very hard to stop once you start but I have noticed an extreme decrease in population since I started gigging these zoa eaters. They have also been editing my GSP. They can have the gsp. This catch took about an hour. Very easy to make a gig also. I just super glued a small nail to a rod of some kind. I usually hunt a couple hours after lights out with a red LED head lamp. I see some crazy creatures at night with the red light.

 

[Macdaddynick1]

I know an affective and very addicting way of removing these guys. Ever been Starfish gigging? It is very hard to stop once you start but I have noticed an extreme decrease in population since I started gigging these zoa eaters. They have also been editing my GSP. They can have the gsp. This catch took about an hour. Very easy to make a gig also. I just super glued a small nail to a rod of some kind. I usually hunt a couple hours after lights out with a red LED head lamp. I see some crazy creatures at night with the red light.

hahah can't agree more... i bought myself some tweezers from 99 cent store, and after 2-3 nights of hunting, i took out at least 400 of those suckers. it isn't that hard to do with the right tools.

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I have blue ones and tan ones. The tan ones eat algae only. I have seen them crawl over my coral without attacking it. So I think it is safe to say the grey ones are algae eaters.

The blue ones are eating my coraline faster that it can grow. They haven't touched my coral but I'm not sure they have noticed it yet. I only have four corals so far. A red mushroom, GSP, a few drags of some green thing a gave me that I have yet to ID, and a tan one that he gave me too, also not ID'ed.

I think the blue ones are really pretty but I like my coraline more. I've heard each asterina has it's own preferred food, but will eat other things if their main food source is scarce. I'm still not sure which asterina is eating the clams on my live rocks.

I'm hoping to find someone local with a Harlequin shrimp I can help feed these blue ones to. Doesn't feel right to just flush them. I have also read the Bumblebee shrimp eat stars but have no experience with them.