possiable Asterina star good or bad ?

[cadillactattoo]

before he runs away is this guy good or bad , conflicting reports .

 

[tat2z_21]

Well I have heard mixed emotions concerning this little uneven creature. I will tell you this though if you see one in your tank there are probably hundreds, and then tomorrow there are thousands. I have them and they are all over my rocks, eating my coraline. I know that it is them because after they move there is a little white spot where it used to be purple.

 

[cadillactattoo]

hmmm what to do what to do , if there is 1 there are more right i figgure i have less than an hr to grab him before he runs away to a place i can not get him
, maybe ill just relocate him to the sump

 

[cadillactattoo]

ok to the fuge he went , if he is good he can be good down there , the fuge seems to be the time out area for every thing

 

[Husker12181]

They are considered good unless like all things they take over your tank. I have seen a couple here and there in my tank but something must be keeping them in check because I have had my 75g for a year plus and I have seen litterally only a couple.

Steve

 

[cadillactattoo]

sweet thanks for the info

 

[returnofsid]

Asterina starfish are great, IMO. There are many species of Asterina starfish, with 1 or 2 species thought to pose a possible problem, mainly to Zoanthids. However, I've yet to read any "proof" of this, other than by a dubious source (GARF) who seems to have started the Asterina Scare!

There have been instances where people have claimed that their Asterina starfish were eating their SPS, even providing photo evidence, showing an Asterina starfish on an SPS, them moving off, leaving a bare area of skeleton, with the flesh removed. My opinion is that the SPS was already suffering, on it's way out, and the Asterina was doing what it does, scavenging.

I have literally hundreds of Asterinas in my tanks, and have never had any issues with any of them. I believe, if you were to "poll" the reef community, as a whole, you'd find that the instances of Asterinas causing problems is very rare, and I believe when it has happened, it's due to something other than the Asterina actually being predatory.

 

[tat2z_21]

Well I know that there are alot of things that get a bad rap, two of them being bristle worms and asterina's. I personally have both of them and think they are a great addition to the bio diversity of my little eco system. I was just trying to state that pulling just the one out is not going to do anything because there are probably a thousand more. I have however watched my little asterina army make polka dots on my coraline growing on the back glass.

 

[flatteringchild]

I have some huge ones in my tanks. I have never seen them causing any problems whatsoever for my corals. I like the idea of having a "starfish" in the tank that does not need any special care. My big ones are kind of a bluish-green-white -pretty to look at.

 

[cadillactattoo]

well maybe ill see more , so far its just the one

 

[the6goat6man6]

Don't really know myself, had one once, not sure if it's still around. I was told that if numbers become high, there is the possibility they might smoother corals. Light and food. Don't know