Do chocolate chip starfish eat or bother zoanthids?

[frankieg2293]

Just got my first couple of frags Zoas and Pollys I noticed my chocolate chip star keeps sitting on my Zoa.. is this bad ? Will the star fish kill or eat the Zoas

 

[Woodyman]

Just got my first couple of frags Zia’s and Pollys I noticed my chocolate chip star keeps sitting on too of Zia frag.. is this bad ? Will the start kill or eat the Zoas

I had one that did.. some say they only go for already dying or damaged tissue. Well there was no damage or dying tissue before hand on my zoa at least not visible.

Found the starfish in the morning and half the plug was gone, with a few half mutilated polyps as well. It was a nice frag of bloodsuckers, they have grown back since, but it was really disappointing to go from a full disc of 15+ heads to about 6/7.

I had the starfish for ~2 months before this randomly happened. After that he went to the sump.

The weird part was I had another frag a week prior that didn't do so great on shipping a few heads died off/melted and I never saw my starfish anywhere near that plug. So not sure what triggered it or why those zoa's.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I don't know about zoas specifically, but they have been known to eat corals, so I wouldn't be too surprised.

 

[Spieg]

Not Reef Safe...

 

[Jacked Reefer]

Yes. Chocolate chips are notoriously not reef safe. Every one that I have heard of in a reef (and that’s a lot because I work at an lfs) has eaten coral

 

[frankieg2293]

Now my coral banded shrimp looks like hes eating them too!! what the heck!

 

[Shooter6]

Now my coral banded shrimp looks like hes eating them too!! what the heck!

I've had coral banded shrimp eat lps and soft corals in the past. Chocolate chip starfish main diet is corals so whoever sold it to you should have warned you about this. Most other shrimp are fine in reefs though.
The banded are more like miniature lobsters then shrimp in my opinion as both are spiney

 

[frankieg2293]

I've had coral banded shrimp eat lps and soft corals in the past. Chocolate chip starfish main diet is corals so whoever sold it to you should have warned you about this. Most other shrimp are fine in reefs though.
The banded are more like miniature lobsters then shrimp in my opinion as both are spines

So the starfish is more of the threat. should I be worried about the shrimp/ lobster ?

 

[Shooter6]

So the starfish is more of the threat. should I be worried about the shrimp/ lobster ?

Starfish should be ejected, sump or sold/traded/given away. Most people use them for food for harlequin shrimp, so be aware it could end up used for that.
The banded shrimp is a 50/50. Keep it and risk loosing some corals (and small fish) to it. Or get rid of it and replace it with shrimp like candy cane ,fireshrimp ect.
You can get brittle stars, serpent stars, sand shifting stars ( if you have sand) for starfish replacement.
Since it sounds like your newer to the hobby, another invert to be cautious of is spider crabs. Ive had them eat soft and lps corals as well as fish. At night

 

[frankieg2293]

Starfish should be ejected, sump or sold/traded/given away. Most people use them for food for harlequin shrimp, so be aware it could end up used for that.
The banded shrimp is a 50/50. Keep it and risk loosing some corals (and small fish) to it. Or get rid of it and replace it with shrimp like candy cane ,fireshrimp ect.
You can get brittle stars, serpent stars, sand shifting stars ( if you have sand) for starfish replacement.
Since it sounds like your newer to the hobby, another invert to be cautious of is spider crabs. Ive had them eat soft and lps corals as well as fish. At night

I hate spider crabs I use to go crabbing for blue claw and I’d catch nothing but spider crabs

 

[Shooter6]

I hate spider crabs I use to go crabbing for blue claw and I’d catch nothing but spider crabs

I am talking about the ones commonly known as arrow crabs. Back in the day they were also commonly called spider or daddy long leg crabs.

Arrow Crab: Saltwater Aquarium Invertebrates