Help with UFO
- Thread starter skynite
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Asterina starfish. Can be bad, can multiply very quickly.
Some have no issues with them and others have had them decimate corals.
You will get answers like, kill them with fire all the way to leave them alone, they are fine.
Not going to hurt to remove if you want.
Some have no issues with them and others have had them decimate corals.
You will get answers like, kill them with fire all the way to leave them alone, they are fine.
Not going to hurt to remove if you want.
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
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I never removed mine. I liked them and they eventually disappeared over the years. Maybe something ate them.
I thought it was the greenish ones that were a problem. I never had problems with these little white ones.
ZoWhat
10K Club member
I would pull the ones you see bc 10 turns into 100... then turns into 1000.
Problem is once they start laying eggs in your substrate... game, set, match. they will reproduce into the thousands.
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Problem is once they start laying eggs in your substrate... game, set, match. they will reproduce into the thousands.
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homer1475
Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
Do they lay eggs? I always thought by their odd shapes, they reproduce by division?
I'm gonna side with Randy on this. I've been keeping marine tanks for over 30 years and have yet to have an asterina sp. star bother anything other than film algae and detritus. I consider them to be a vital part of the CUC and a wonderful bit of diversity in my tanks.
As they crawl around/over your corals the might temporarily bother them, but at least IME, the corals quickly recover. If I see too many in one system I'll move some to another tank. If you have only one tank and you have "too many", you are over feeding. Limit their available food and they will limit their population.
As they crawl around/over your corals the might temporarily bother them, but at least IME, the corals quickly recover. If I see too many in one system I'll move some to another tank. If you have only one tank and you have "too many", you are over feeding. Limit their available food and they will limit their population.
Pistol Peet
Reefing , family ,God, country.
asteria for sure will eat your coralline algee.
Tired
2500 Club Member
They are not babies of the sand-sifting starfish, no. Those are asterinas.
The problem with asterinas is that there are multiple species that can be in an aquarium, and different species have different diets. Also, they'll eat nearly anything when starving- but so will most animals.
The problem with asterinas is that there are multiple species that can be in an aquarium, and different species have different diets. Also, they'll eat nearly anything when starving- but so will most animals.
a Harlequin will go through 100's in a very short time. Be mindful you will need to relocate the shrimp or start feeding him other starfish.
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My understanding is yes it will eat a sand sifting starfish, from what I have read. But I am no expert so maybe someone else with experience will chime in.
Timfish
Crusty Old Salt
It's an Aquilonastra spp. starfish and is a great scavenger. From what I've read Asterina spp starfish are preditary but only reproduce sexually are brooders and are shortlived so while it's possible some might get into a tank even if it did happen it's not going to be around long. Aquilonastra are one of the uncommon since they are some of the few species that reproduce fissiparous or by splitting so are easy to identify by the different sized legs regrown after splitting. They may be performing an important function not only feeding off algae films but also feeding off aging microbial films including those on corals (at least ones that don't sting). FYI the mucus coating on corals ages and corals have to periodicely shed it to renew it and maintian healthy microbial processes (Ref 1, Ref 2). If Aquilonastra are feeding on zoas or softies I'll argue they are either benign or even beneficial as they may be reducing the unhealthy older mucus which can be full of unhealthy microbes which the animal is trying to get rid of and are far more likely to be the actual problem.
Here's an example, this Toadstool is doing one of it's periodic sheddings. The Aquilonastra that can be seen on it have been in this system for years but only climb onto the Toadstool when it's shedding. In the first picture you can see the old mucus film, Aquilonastra starfish and areas they have cleaned off. The second picture shows the same area on the Toadstool a week later.
Here's an example, this Toadstool is doing one of it's periodic sheddings. The Aquilonastra that can be seen on it have been in this system for years but only climb onto the Toadstool when it's shedding. In the first picture you can see the old mucus film, Aquilonastra starfish and areas they have cleaned off. The second picture shows the same area on the Toadstool a week later.
Tired
2500 Club Member
Don't get a harlequin, it'll eat all your starfish and then starve.
If you want the starfish out, just pull them out by hand. They don't appear to be one of the troublesome ones- the asterinas that most commonly eat zoas are darker and splotchy, which those aren't. If they even are asterinas. I'll have to read up some about Aquilonastra stars, those are cool.
(Also, sand sifting starfish eventually starve in all but massive tanks. It takes months, but they'll strip all the life from your sand and then starve.)
If you want the starfish out, just pull them out by hand. They don't appear to be one of the troublesome ones- the asterinas that most commonly eat zoas are darker and splotchy, which those aren't. If they even are asterinas. I'll have to read up some about Aquilonastra stars, those are cool.
(Also, sand sifting starfish eventually starve in all but massive tanks. It takes months, but they'll strip all the life from your sand and then starve.)
