Why is it always the nicer palys/zoas first!!

[Reefinginpasadena]

So i came home and saw that my Nightmare palys werent looking good so i look around them and see astrina Starfish on them!! and i got the starfish off and two days later it doenst look like the Nightmares are going to make it :cry: i hate Astrinas! Just wanted to rant and im wondering why it couldnt of been one of the crappier looking zoas! I have like 25+ different kinds

 

[Reefness]

I've seen asterina starfish on some of my zoanthids, too. I wonder, though, if they did the damage to the zoanthids or if the zoanthids were declining from some other problem and the asterinas were eating the dying or dead zoanthid polyps.

 

[flricordia]

I have caught them eating on my palys. Almost destroyed a frag of Arms. Taking large chunks out of them. Now I keep a harlequin shrimp in the tank and have not seen a star since or had any problems with my zoas.

 

[Reefinginpasadena]

Ya they do eat Zoas/palys and My Nightmares were perfect the day before and they had a few babies on them too and then when i looked at them the babies were gone and the big palys looked crappy....I added a har. Shrimp a week before but it was a small one and i havent seen it since so im just going to buy another one but that sucks im pi**ed off!

 

[kass03]

I would think if they were eating them it would be more than 1 kind they would be eating.
I have asterinas and never had a problem but there are many kinds of them so I'm sure it's possible.

kass

 

[Hypertek99]

Oh you better watch carefully. I have seen asterinas eat zoanthids too. Everyone is like oh my asterinas don't eat zoas then oneday it happens to them and it's their best looking zoanthid. haha

 

[Reefinginpasadena]

haha yeah just like what happend to mine!!! i knew they were bad and thats why i put a har. Shrimp in there but i havent seen the stupid thing since i put it in there! Then my Nightmares getting eaten and they ended up not making it! im going to kill any asterinas i see from now on and im going to add another har. Shrimp!

 

[bkv1997]

About 3 years ago i had a similiar issue. I had many asterinas in my tank, and couldn't figure out why all the sudden only my pink/red zoa/palys were all dying (AOG, Rose Nebulas, Red Wines, Arm, etc). I finally started looking closer and figured it out. Once I added the pair of halequin shrimp everything was better. I've heard the debate about them only eating them once they are dying, but I personally think they ran out of whatever else they were eating in my tank then decided the zoas were the next best thing. Below are some older and not so well taken photos of the event.

 

[flricordia]

So far I have observed them eating only palythoas, at least mine. I haven't seen them eating on any zoanthus or protopalythoas, but that does not mean anything except that I have only had trouble with them eating my palys.
Only seen nudis eating on zoanthus and not palythoas or protopalythoas. Have never seen anything eat on protopalythoas. They have a pretty good defense it seems.

 

[cbort]

i have those stars all over in my tank, should i get rid of them? Never had i ever had issues with any zoas dying tho. Should i add a harlequin

 

[flricordia]

i have those stars all over in my tank, should i get rid of them? Never had i ever had issues with any zoas dying tho. Should i add a harlequin

I have had them for some time also with no issues, many years in fact, until I noticed one eating on my Arms one day. I did some reading on them and understand that are opportunistic and can turn to eating zoas. Some reading claims only certain kinds will feed on corals, now all come out as I prize my zoas more than chancing bad and nuetral stars. Some pple claim they have never bothered anything and I was one of them until I began loosing palys one day and many days to follow I was finding the stars eating on the palys. Took about a month to rid the tank of them but finally did though a harliquin and manualy pulling them out whenever I saw them. First light is when I found them out the most. Every so often I do still find one on some zoas but not very often now and needless to say it is promptly removed.

 

[Reefinginpasadena]

ya if you have a lot of these stupid guys and like your zoas i would put a Har. Shrimp in there to get rid of the stars! i have noticed they only go for the Red/Palys too thats wierd i have only seen them on my Nightmares and then i got on off my RPE before it did any damage! but thats wierd im goin go watch my Darthmaul Like a Hawk!