Gsp dying? I don't get it

[xxkenny90xx]

I feel odd posting this as my tank is 8+ yrs old and I am growing softies, lps, and sps just fine. Anyways..

So I have a small rock of gsp on my sand that I decided the other day to frag (which I've done many times). The the colony is regrowing quickly and doing fine but the 2 frags which I super glued to my overflow box are turning brown and looking slimy. I did pull an asterina starfish off of one of them the other day (and relocated it to my giant hermit crab tank) but I haven't seen any others messing with the frags (and I'm home staring at my tank all day lately). Any ideas why they aren't doing good?

Here's the kicker, I've been reefing for quite a while and these days I only test for salinity (1.025), temp (79), Alk (10.7dkh and dropping), Cal (420), and mag (need to order new test kits). All of my other test kits are expired and I have no plans to buy new ones.... Hey at least I'm not just insisting all of my parameters are perfect over and over again when u guys ask about them

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Asterinas ate an entire frag of mine I left in the sand bed 2 months ago. I have since employed a juvenile Harlequin shrimp to deal with my pests and keep their numbers in check.

That would be my guess.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Sigh I'm really starting to hate those little guys. I'm just surprised because I most likely would have seen it if it was them. They must be chowing down at night

 

[Crustaceon]

Asterinas are usually nocturnal. Check your tank at midnight with a flashlight and i’ll bet you’ll see what I mean.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Sigh I'm really starting to hate those little guys. I'm just surprised because I most likely would have seen it if it was them. They must be chowing down at night

Do a few flashlight spot checks when u hop up at night to hit the head.. mine are in the hundreds. Easily.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Asterinas are usually nocturnal. Check your tank at midnight with a flashlight and i’ll bet you’ll see what I mean.

Jinx

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I just don't get it guys, I liked having these stars in my tank for years and then one day about 2 months ago I saw one latched onto a zoa. Since then Ive seen them eating corals 3 other times (mostly on that same zoa frag). Nothing new in the tank, just the same old stars became evil

 

[Crustaceon]

Jinx

Dang it!!!

 

[Tahoe61]

Opportunistic feeders.

 

[alton]

I have always had Asterinas in my tanks. But a few years ago I got a strain that ate GSP. I added the shrimp. If you are going to frag I would wait till the GSP grows onto the sand. That rock is not very big and with you fragging it, you may kill it? You don't have to wait till you get this much but wait a while before you frag again and definitely get rid of the stars.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

I just don't get it guys, I liked having these stars in my tank for years and then one day about 2 months ago I saw one latched onto a zoa. Since then Ive seen them eating corals 3 other times (mostly on that same zoa frag). Nothing new in the tank, just the same old stars became evil

Kenny, share an in-focus Full tank shot for me if u have time.. I wanna see something.

 

[fish farmer]

What are your nitrates and phosphate? I remember seeing a thread about low nutrients and GSP dieing recently.

I too have had GSP doing fine and then wither away, spots on the glass, spots on the overflow. The main colony on a disk also closed up. I've had asterinas for a long time, but I also have gotten both my nitrates and phosphates down to low levels.

I'm questioning the stars may be up to something but haven't caught them in the act.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Kenny, share an in-focus Full tank shot for me if u have time.. I wanna see something.

My lights are still ramping up for the morning but here's the best my phone camera can do

 

[xxkenny90xx]

What are your nitrates and phosphate? I remember seeing a thread about low nutrients and GSP dieing recently.

I too have had GSP doing fine and then wither away, spots on the glass, spots on the overflow. The main colony on a disk also closed up. I've had asterinas for a long time, but I also have gotten both my nitrates and phosphates down to low levels.

I'm questioning the stars may be up to something but haven't caught them in the act.

I don't check nitrates. Phos is currently .27 and dropping (its usually about .15). I know that # would freak most people out but I always run high phos and lps, sps, nems are all happy

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Do a few flashlight spot checks when u hop up at night to hit the head.. mine are in the hundreds. Easily.

Fwiw I checked on the tank in the middle of the night last night and didn't see anything eating the gsp (but I'm still accusing the asterina starfish)

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I have always had Asterinas in my tanks. But a few years ago I got a strain that ate GSP. I added the shrimp. If you are going to frag I would wait till the GSP grows onto the sand. That rock is not very big and with you fragging it, you may kill it? You don't have to wait till you get this much but wait a while before you frag again and definitely get rid of the stars.

Wow that's a crazy amount. I've had large amounts before but I prefer my small gsp rock. You could be right about killing it but I'm very careful not to smash it while fragging

 

[fish farmer]

I don't check nitrates. Phos is currently .27 and dropping (its usually about .15). I know that # would freak most people out but I always run high phos and lps, sps, nems are all happy

Mine phos was running there or higher and nitrates 5 to 10 and I have similar stuff that you have. I don't think it's the nutrients seeing what you have growing.

Did the frags ever open up or did they just die after attaching?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

They haven't died yet but no, they never opened up

 

[Brad ward]

I just don't get it guys, I liked having these stars in my tank for years and then one day about 2 months ago I saw one latched onto a zoa. Since then Ive seen them eating corals 3 other times (mostly on that same zoa frag). Nothing new in the tank, just the same old stars became evil

If the are higher up they might be getting too much light. Most gsp i see growing like a weed has been in low light or mostly blue lit tanks

 

[krash7172]

Your main colony looks small enough to position it next to the surface you want it to grow on. That's what I've done. I was told not to try to glue it.