KKAAY Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 On my glass this morn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 asterina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobR Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Asterina starfish... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKAAY Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 Good or bad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Depends on if you like your zoanthids to be eaten or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I haven't had a problem with them and my zoas (i think it's a specific variety that's problematic), but I have recently started pulling them out anyways: http://www.reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKAAY Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 Well no I don't want that..that's why I'm askng...not looking for wisecracks ..thx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Well no I don't want that..that's why I'm askng...not looking for wisecracks ..thx Some people dont seem to have any problems with them, but I have personally had them eat entire healthly frags in one night. So now they get pulled out and set to dry on the rim of the tank. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Try looking through chuck's hitch hiker guide for these critters. I know they don't have wisecracks in the text there and all these critters are listed, just gotta read through 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Try looking through chuck's hitch hiker guide for these critters. I know they don't have wisecracks in the text there and all these critters are listed, just gotta read through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Try looking through chuck's hitch hiker guide for these critters. I know they don't have wisecracks in the text there and all these critters are listed, just gotta read through To answer your question o0zarka, yes they even have crabs listed!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I'm in the camp that considers them beneficial. They are algae eaters or scavengers eating the stuff that collects in biofilms. If you look closely at the picture you posted you can see it's stomach, the orangish/tannish blob inthe center, extended digesting algae off the glass. Seems to me that argues for them being beneficial. Zoas may be annoyed by them eating the algae and stuff that might collect on thier slime coatings but I've never seen any actaully damaged and eated by asterinas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I'm in the camp that considers them beneficial. They are algae eaters or scavengers eating the stuff that collects in biofilms. If you look closely at the picture you posted you can see it's stomach, the orangish/tannish blob inthe center, extended digesting algae off the glass. Seems to me that argues for them being beneficial. Zoas may be annoyed by them eating the algae and stuff that might collect on thier slime coatings but I've never seen any actaully damaged and eated by asterinas. When I find them draped completely over a zoa and when you pull them off to a ooowey goooey stubb of a zoa..... it's being eaten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Reefer Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Here is an excert from ReefKeeping Magazine about Asterina Starfish that may be helpful Debates over the nature of Asterina sp. stars have been waged for as long as these creatures have been observed in marine tanks. The sheer number that a tank can support is startling and can often fool the new aquarist into believing they simply must be eating their prized coral specimens. On the other hand, there are seasoned aquarists who have lived with Asterina sp. for decades with no noticeable problems. These contradictions can be very confusing to the novice aquarist. The reasoning behind these wildly varying opinions is that Asterinas sp. can indeed be both - either a benign addition or a coral killer, and it is currently not possible to definitively test or identify which type is in any one tank. At this point it should be said that there are many different species of Asterina sp. and of them all, only a few have ever been recorded to eat coral such as Acropora, zoanthids and other soft corals. The vast majority are opportunistic scavengers and/or herbivores that eat coralline or other types of algae. It has been estimated that of all the Asterina sp. varieties, only around 5% are coral eating species, which is good news for aquarists since they are so common in our systems. However, there are more than enough documented cases of corals being eaten by Asterina sp. to convince even the hardened skeptic that not all Asterina sp. are alike, and that some are, indeed, carnivorous. The good news is that it is unlikely that benign Asterina sp. suddenly become crazed coral killers, so chances are, if you have not experienced coral loss, you likely will not - at least not until another potentially carnivorous strain or species of Asterina sp. arrives in your tank. The bad news is that coral eaters are out there and with the population density that can be rapidly attained, they can become a serious pest in a short order. I have kept corals for over 20 years and have had Asterina sp. in virtually all of my tanks, but have yet to observe coral damage that I can absolutely pin on an Asterinas. I have, however, seen other tanks where Asterina sp. have decimated corals. Hopefully, your experience will be similar to mine, and you will find Asterina sp. to be simply a nuisance. Like many things in this hobby, though, erring on the side of caution is probably the prudent option. Hopefully, this article will provide some insight into Asterina sp. stars and what approaches you can take to limit them should you so desire. Asterina sp. are members of the echinoderms and are small sea stars that commonly have very irregular and asymmetric bodies measuring anything from a few millimeters to just over a centimeter in size. They are generally a whitish grey color, but some may be brown or even pale green. Some of them will resemble normal small stars while others will have a varying number of legs, all of which may have varying length. In fact, some do not appear to have any legs at all but just resemble a small greyish blob surrounded by tube feet. The reason for this irregularity of body is due to the fact that Asterina sp. can reproduce asexually by splitting in two across the center. Obviously, each daughter star would have a full set of legs on one side, and none on the other - at least until they more grow 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Capt. Obvious Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Harlequin shrimp food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Harlequin shrimp food BINGO! Not a single one left in the 55. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esacjack Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I'm in the camp that considers them beneficial. They are algae eaters or scavengers eating the stuff that collects in biofilms. If you look closely at the picture you posted you can see it's stomach, the orangish/tannish blob inthe center, extended digesting algae off the glass. Seems to me that argues for them being beneficial. Zoas may be annoyed by them eating the algae and stuff that might collect on thier slime coatings but I've never seen any actaully damaged and eated by asterinas. When I find them draped completely over a zoa and when you pull them off to a ooowey goooey stubb of a zoa..... it's being eaten. +1 Lost some zoas to asterinas. I thought they were just eating algae, till I checked the tank after the lights went out, and noticed 4 or 5 of them smothering my zoas. Other variations of the asterinas in my tank stay on the glass or ont he rock. These particular ones seemed to love zoas. I immediately bought a harlequin shrimp. No more asterinas. I now keep a harley in a 5 gallon tank with choco's to keep it alive, just in case I need to pop a cap in more asterinas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Monnat Jr Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Try looking through chuck's hitch hiker guide for these critters. I know they don't have wisecracks in the text there and all these critters are listed, just gotta read through http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchhikers.html 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingjames Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 im 50/50, i have a couple hundred in my 55g for the last year or so, they didnt bother anything coral until i started really getting in to zoas, now this is what i observed, any zoas that i put in my tank that were already well established as in had healed from being fragged in the original owners tank, they would not even touch, but it seemed like every fresh cut frag ( cut from owners tank and put in my display that same day) i noticed they would open up for a day or two, but then would notice astrinas crawling on top of it, and the frag 99% of the time would melt away, that being said, asterinas are scavengers right, well im sure a newly cut frag of zoas will have some kind of decay before the healing process, even if its in minute amounts, well if ansterina comes by and start eating at the part that is trying to heal, then it does not get a chance to heal and there forth goes down hill, so this is why i try to buy healed frags, and if not i quarintine them for about a week, my zoa garden is actually starting to come together and is really thriving and i probaly have hundreds of the asterinas in my tank, just my opinion though 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faron Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 I'm with o0z, theyre not allowed in my glass cage. This is my personal preference, as I have had several zoas devoured. If they're not disturbing anything, I'd leave them alone as they can be beneficial. Just keep a eye on them! It is nice not to have a bunch of them all over my glass. R.I.P. Harley the harlequin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Here is an excert from ReefKeeping Magazine about Asterina Starfish that may be helpful [...] Just a quick note, when quoting from another source, please provide the link as well. We like to give credit where credit is due. Regarding harlequins, if you don't have fish that will attack them, +1 to getting a harlequin shrimp. Awesome creatures and they'll control an asterina population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KKAAY Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 regarding harlequins, what types of fish will attack them and I read where they eat starfish. I have a red one in there now and dont want it harmed if I get one. thx for all the input Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
innate1 Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 ^ a harley's not for you then. As cute as they are they are super star predators and will eat any star fish in the tank 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 regarding harlequins, what types of fish will attack them and I read where they eat starfish. I have a red one in there now and dont want it harmed if I get one. thx for all the input this link shows the starfish they eat http://www.chucksaddiction.com/harlequinshrimp.html for fish, i am guessing look at the fish you have and see which eat shrimp. but i see one source on wikianswers that says weasses and triggerfish and the guy's ciniamon clownfish. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_eat_harlequin_shrimp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 ^ a harley's not for you then. As cute as they are they are super star predators and will eat any star fish in the tank Maybe, maybe not. I had such a large population of asterinas (slow moving, easy to find) that my harley's never messed with my serpent, sand-sifting, or red knobby stars. Until my flame hawks decided that a harley is an easy, delicious snack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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