Asterina Starfish eating zoanthids (what are your thoughts)

revhtree · May 21, 2008

I have had a huge influx of Asterina Starfish lately and they seem to be on my zoa frags everyday. They are multiplying fast and I don't want them making dinner of my palys and zoas. These I am talking about are the grayish, tan ones with oddly shaped legs.

How do you suggest getting rid of thee buggers?

J. Montgomery · May 21, 2008

IMO, they're not a problem. I have thousands of them, and hundreds of zoas.

If you want to get rid of them, buy a harlequin shrimp.

revhtree · May 21, 2008

Hmmm....

You really don't think they are a problem? What kind do you have? The little full bodied white ones seem to be fine. It's the funky looking gray tan ones like off of zoaid that I am speaking of.

ficklefins · May 21, 2008

I have personally plucked a few off my RPE polyps and noticed a mark where the mouth was. If I could get rid of all of them I would.

Who Dah? · May 21, 2008

I have personally seen them take out frags, small frags, and even colonies.

The problem is that there's like a brazillion different asterinas. Some are safe, others aren't. Further, they don't "eat" all Zoanthids. One of my Zoa buddies has Asterinas and asks the question before asking for a frag, "Are they Asterina-safe?"

I swear they tend to favor the caribbean zoanthids. But two exact examples of "non-asterina-safe" morphs are bleeding hearts and rastas. I've had so many requests for Rastas. No exaggeration: the last three times they were finally abundant enough that I was considering fragging, asterinas got to them. Didn't wipe them out completely, but brought their numbers down from 30's to 5's and 8's. One of the times, an asterina took out about 1/2 the colony. I caught the asterina and pulled it out. The other 1/2 of the colony was fine. The 1/2 he "ate" suffered severe polyp loss.

So for me? I keep harlequin shrimp.

The trick is to catch your harlequin shrimp before you exhaust their food source and then pass them on to someone else in your local club w/ the same issue. Inevitably, that person will have their starfish population diminished and can then do the same. Soon enough, you yourself will need the harlequin back again.

Pitcom · May 21, 2008

i Just bought a harlequin shrimp 2 weeks ago for this exact reason. The stars really messed up my RPE colony big time. I used to see a few dozen at night all over the rockwork. I saw maybe 3 this morning, he is doing a killer job.

Eklikewhoa · May 21, 2008

I have never seen them eat anything that was not out the door already.

Darren · May 21, 2008

The blue / gray ones WILL eat your zoanthids. I had a few take out part of PPE colony a year or so ago in no time. I got a Harlequin and I have not seen any more.

revhtree · May 21, 2008

I just pulled several off some stems of paly polys. Funny thing is my Rastas are probable doing worse than anything in the tank and have been for a while.

Anybody want to loan me their Harq. shrimp?

scp443 · May 21, 2008

I've never seen an asterina stars eat anything of value in my tank. However, i do believe, based on what others have said, that if thier population grows too large or if their current food source declines, that the asterina will turn to other means of feeding and who knows what they might start to feast on. Rather than take that risk i decided to get a harlequin like you guys have. It seemed like a logical choice based on what i was seeing in my tank; a lot of expensive polyps and an exploding population of asterina. Also, all i had to do was tell my fiance that we could get one and she was allover it in a second. She thinks they're like the most beautiful things (said in the most girly voice possible) I didn't even have to pay for it! My only concern is that i may be upsetting some balance by killing off the asterina. Only, time will tell.

revhtree · May 21, 2008

Where did you get yours bro?

Also welcome to R2R!!

scp443 · May 21, 2008

Thank you! We got it from a local store called country critters. It definitely eats them, thats for sure. We arent about to loan this guy out though. Its like her favorite thing already.

revhtree · May 21, 2008

LOL! That's fine, I need to find one local myself!

You guys think one is enough for my 120g?

reef-nut · May 21, 2008

Sounds worse than a few flatworms I have. I have never seen so many of the starfish that you could not keep them down by just picking them out of the tank.

Smarsh · May 21, 2008

yeah those darn asterina's about wiped out a very nice pink colony I had. Luckily I figured it out and got them out of there. My asterina were the pinkish tanish ones. I used to have white ones and they didn't bother anything. But those other ones are monsters.

Sandy

rdvab · May 21, 2008

I have a multitude of the little rascals and pluck them off the glass constantly.I dont know if they actually eat the zoas or just smother them but they definately will damage them,contrary to what I have been told.

Pitcom · May 21, 2008

revhtree said:
LOL! That's fine, I need to find one local myself!

You guys think one is enough for my 120g?

Yes one is enough or you will be buying chocolate chips to feed them.

morgan · May 22, 2008

do those shrimp attack bristle stars and sandsifters also?

Eklikewhoa · May 22, 2008

I don't think they bother with bristle stars but not sure about the sandsifters.

Smarsh · May 22, 2008

I believe that they will go after anything that has tubular feet like stars do. So I wouldn't rule out any type of starfish being on their diet.

Sandy