Asterina starfish eating zoas!

[TRPlacek]

So I have had asterina starfish in my 90 gallon for about 2 years with no issues but my wife's 60 gallon also has them now and she had lost 3 colonies of zoas. I have dipped these colonies several times finding no pests and I am always finding the asterina starfish on them. other colonies in the 60 gallon tank the starfish won't or haven't touched and they are thriving. They seem to target the bright red and pink zoas. this has been going on for a few months now and I am 99% certain it is the asterina starfish. I know I will never be able to eradicate them completely in this tank but when I put up my new tank I will make sure these guys don't find their way in.

 

[jboone82590]

Kill them with fire.

 

[jboone82590]

How many so you have in your tank?

 

[TRPlacek]

How many so you have in your tank?

Too many to count. honestly I never tried counting bUT there are too many for me to try and do anything about. this tank along with my 90 gallon will be coming down in about a year anyway.

 

[jboone82590]

Too many to count.

Thats not good.
I only have like 2 that i can see right now

 

[Reefapprentice]

I've had the same and they seem to have vanished since I moved all my zoa frags into my frag tank.Might be that my 1" scarlet hermit has acquired a unique taste but I haven't ever been able to confirm it.

 

[Mmbra]

Noticed this same thing. I was stoked to have some starfish then my zoas started vanishing, and after awhile i caught them in the act like your picture. These starfish multiplied so fast it was insane. In the mornings they would litteraly be covering 20% of my aquarium glass and all over the rock as well. I bought a harlequin shrimp for $20 and he has been tearing through them. After a month i can still see them in the tank but they are nowhere near the plague proportions they were before. Plus harlequin shrimp are cool as hell.

 

[TRPlacek]

It's weird though, they haven't messed with any of these zoas which have been in her tank for quite a while. excuse the photo bomber.

 

[TRPlacek]

Noticed this same thing. I was stoked to have some starfish then my zoas started vanishing, and after awhile i caught them in the act like your picture. These starfish multiplied so fast it was insane. In the mornings they would litteraly be covering 20% of my aquarium glass and all over the rock as well. I bought a harlequin shrimp for $20 and he has been tearing through them. After a month i can still see them in the tank but they are nowhere near the plague proportions they were before. Plus harlequin shrimp are cool as hell.

I may need to try a harlequin.

 

[Triggreef]

It's weird though, they haven't messed with any of these zoas which have been in her tank for quite a while. excuse the photo bomber.

All zoas in that pic are all fairly hardy zoas that seldom have issues. I'd bet that there's something going on with the colonies that are going away. And the stars are eating the dying tissue.

I tend to disagree with many people about these types of things. My reasoning here, is that I'm plagued with these stars as well. I keep mostly zoas and multiple frags and colonies of the same types. I've found my stars on some of my zoas just like you, and i would also feel the same way. What I've found though is sometimes there's a frag not doing well, and soon stars will be on it. Mean while in other areas of the tank the same type of zoas are doing well and are ignored by the same stars.

That said, keeping them out of your new set up sounds like a fine plan. I keep 2 Harleys in my 200g and they eat them but only enough to almost control them. I had one Harley before these 2 for a few years but one wasn't enough so i got 2 this time.

 

[TRPlacek]

All zoas in that pic are all fairly hardy zoas that seldom have issues. I'd bet that there's something going on with the colonies that are going away. And the stars are eating the dying tissue.

I tend to disagree with many people about these types of things. My reasoning here, is that I'm plagued with these stars as well. I keep mostly zoas and multiple frags and colonies of the same types. I've found my stars on some of my zoas just like you, and i would also feel the same way. What I've found though is sometimes there's a frag not doing well, and soon stars will be on it. Mean while in other areas of the tank the same type of zoas are doing well and are ignored by the same stars.

That said, keeping them out of your new set up sounds like a fine plan. I keep 2 Harleys in my 200g and they eat them but only enough to almost control them. I had one Harley before these 2 for a few years but one wasn't enough so i got 2 this time.

I want to agree with everything you said but these colonies did thrive for about a month before the starfish population exploded. also I had put a few pink zoas from my wife's tank into mine a few months back and hers disappeared while the zoas in my tank are thriving. both tanks a very similar as far as nutrients and lighting asystem well.

 

[Triggreef]

I want to agree with everything you said but these colonies did thrive for about a month before the starfish population exploded. also I had put a few pink zoas from my wife's tank into mine a few months back and hers disappeared while the zoas in my tank are thriving. both tanks a very similar as far as nutrients and lighting asystem well.

Could be, there are a ton of different asterina stars.

 

[A. grandis]

Asterina, aiptasia and majano...
Just plan a day to do some water change and remove as many as you can sucking them out and working constantly.
Many reef pests aren't possible to eliminate 100% but if you keep it part of the maintenance schedule you can fairly succeed.
Get the shrimps and remove every visible star every day. That is the safest way to go.
Be happy!
Grandis.

 

[Philip Chin]

I got a harlequin shrimp and he took care of the problem.

 

[TRPlacek]

Only issue with getting a harlequin is the melanurus wrasse in the tank. not sure if he would go after it or not.

 

[steve&mari]

I've noticed that problem with the darker stars more than the white ones. Also used a Harley shrimp to rid system of them. Our wrasses don't mess with our pom pom crab. If you want to catch the wrasse and place it in a acclamation box or another tank/sump. Rid the stars and remove shrimp and replace the wrasse.

 

[TRPlacek]

I've noticed that problem with the darker stars more than the white ones. Also used a Harley shrimp to rid system of them. Our wrasses don't mess with our pom pom crab. If you want to catch the wrasse and place it in a acclamation box or another tank/sump. Rid the stars and remove shrimp and replace the wrasse.

How long did it take for the shrimp to rid the stars from your system?

 

[steve&mari]

How long did it take for the shrimp to rid the stars from your system?

I'd say it was a huge dent in em within week or two I didn't see anything after about a month or so and pulled the shrimp and traded in at lfs so it didn't starve.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So I have had asterina starfish in my 90 gallon for about 2 years with no issues but my wife's 60 gallon also has them now and she had lost 3 colonies of zoas. I have dipped these colonies several times finding no pests and I am always finding the asterina starfish on them. other colonies in the 60 gallon tank the starfish won't or haven't touched and they are thriving. They seem to target the bright red and pink zoas. this has been going on for a few months now and I am 99% certain it is the asterina starfish. I know I will never be able to eradicate them completely in this tank but when I put up my new tank I will make sure these guys don't find their way in.

can you get video of them eating the zoa. it would end all discussion. time lapse maybe. its long been rumored, lets get proof

 

[TRPlacek]

can you get video of them eating the zoa. it would end all discussion. time lapse maybe. its long been rumored, lets get proof

Not sure what a video will prove over this pic but I'll try to get the go pro set up.