Help! what do I do...small Gray starfish

[rsfisher]

I have some small gray starfish. I have heard that harloquin(sp?) shrimp could clear it up for me. What is the name of these beauties and I have read that these eat sps correct?

 

[edwing206]

Asterina starfish?

http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+525+749&pcatid=749&N=0

Link for shrimp. ^^^^

 

[TWallace]

I agree that it sounds like asterina stars. I've never heard that they eat SPS. I've seen a couple in my tank, though not many. I don't notice anything bad come from them. Harlequins will indeed eat them, but will starve if you don't provide starfish as well. They'll decimate the asterinas in short order, then require more food.

 

[ziggy]

Pick them out any way you can. I have caught them eating coriline which left little star imprints on it. One even ate on my neon green leather which resulted in a black wound on the stalk of the leather. After that,,,THEY ALL DIE in my tank. I sometimes dry them out and give them to my 4yr old

 

[Herefishyfishy]

They do NOT eat healthy corals, perhaps dying ones.
I have had them coexist with my many 100s of corals for years.
I will take all you got...

 

[burning2nd]

i have afew small ones in all of my tanks... and i have nice growth of all my sps, and lps.....

and softies,


ive noticed no harm.... they dont get big

 

[Jan]

This seems to be a controversial subject because many people have asterinas in their systems for years with no problems, but other people experience a population explosion and then the stars start to eat their SPS. Personally I can buy into the theory that at a certain point in population growth, they may sense that food is more scarce and start eating corals. I can also buy into the theory that there is more than one species of asterinas and some are predatory. In any case, I had a population explosion in my tanks and I bought two harlequein shrimp to take care of the problem. It is a lot better now.

 

[ziggy]

Pick them out any way you can. I have caught them eating coriline which left little star imprints on it. One even ate on my neon green leather which resulted in a black wound on the stalk of the leather. After that,,,THEY ALL DIE in my tank. I sometimes dry them out and give them to my 4yr old

I want to clarify

"THEY ALL DIE" is refering to what happens to the little starfish, NOT the starfish making the leathers die.

That said.

I think Jan is correct. There are some rogue starfish as described, and under the right conditions feed on our "Good" things in the aquarium.

If I had not seen the starfish damage the leather I would not blame it. However, It was on a perfectly healthy leather and when I took it off it still had its stomache expelled consuming the leather. It was minor, Yes, but it happened.

I've caught over 40 of these stars and 7 to 10 were turning pink in color from eating coriline. I could track them as they made their way down the face of a rock by the star impressions they left. Its minor in the skeme of things, but it did happen.

The question I pose is, do you want to find out when they eat a 3/4" frag of Rainbow Sherbert Chalice that cost 200$.

I don't

Chad

 

[burning2nd]

i wouldnt look in to why the population exspoded.... what they had in there.... what they fed...

my pop seems to be in check.... 1 or 2

 

[surf_buddy]

I have a many of these in my system, and had never had issue with them eating any of my corals, soft or hard. They do love coraline and I have plenty of that in my tank. I wonder if people with a low coraline population experienced these Asterina starfish eating their corals?

 

[TWallace]

I've caught over 40 of these stars and 7 to 10 were turning pink in color from eating coriline. I could track them as they made their way down the face of a rock by the star impressions they left. Its minor in the skeme of things, but it did happen.

I think quite a few people, myself included, consider coralline-eating to be a good trait in a starfish. That stuff looks nice on rocks, but it's a pain in the ass on the glass and can get out of control, especially in acrylic tanks (harder to scrape it off without damaging the tank).

 

[surf_buddy]

I think quite a few people, myself included, consider coralline-eating to be a good trait in a starfish.

I sure do!

 

[returnofsid]

I have lots of Asterina stars in both of my reef tanks. Have never had any issues with them at all. When I first noticed quite a population of them, I did watch carefully to see if they bothered any corals. Never had any indication that they bothered any of my soft, LPS, SPS or clams. I think they're very beneficial.

 

[Bainic]

I have a cluster of brown zoos, and I can always find asterina stars on them. I'm not sure if they are eating the zoos or not? Anyone else had this occur?

 

[Rod Buehler]

Some say that they munch on coral, same say no.. Hmmm I wonder if there is more than one species of asterina? Of course there is silly .. I have never had any that munch on coral, but I trust that other have.

 

[DonW]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/ac/feature/index.php