Asterina's eating my SPS

[rackyrane]

Has anyone seen asterina's that eat SPS? I have a formerly healthy SPS and it started looking raggedy. At first I couldn't figure out what was going on. One night right before lights out, I saw a pink backed asterina wrapped around the polyps. I pulled him off and the sucked had polyps in its gullet. I have since pulled others off of it.
The colony is otherwise healthy, but is being eaten alive. What should I do? I really don't want to get an harlequin because I have alot of brittle stars I don't want to lose.

Any ideas?:squigglemouth:

 

[Poseidon]

I have heard/read several posts stating that astrina stars were caught eating SPS. I have hundreds of these in my tank, and have never observed that from them, but obviously there are a sub species, or at least variety that do. Do you have any pictures of the stars that are eating your SPS, top and bottom if you can?

 

[rackyrane]

I can try and get pics the next time I catch one at it. I am not a very good photographer, but I will do my best.
These guys are the ones with the pinkish back. I have also caught these same guys munching on my zoos. I thought I had gotten most of them out, but I guess not. Any ideas on exterminating these?

 

[JGoslee]

I had a sixline wrasse in my old tank that used to eat them.

 

[Znut Reefer]

Best bet is a Harlequin Shrimp. They will not eat your brittle stars.

 

[bkv1997]

I use to have 100s of these things.... one day the moon and stars aligned and i sucked a 100 or so out a day for a week after noticing them eating my zoas. I was in the other camp prior saying I had them and they didn't hurt anything.

Two harlequin shrimp cleaned my tank within 2 weeks. I provided a choc star every three weeks for a while then sold the shrimp off to other reefers.

I'd recommend you get a shrimp.
Brandon

 

[rackyrane]

Will a sixline eat the pods in the tank? I have a scooter blenny already and he's the only pod eater I have. I don't want him to have a decreased food supply.

The harlequin won't eat brittle stars? I might get one, but I'm not sure I can watch one butcher a choc star. Really girly huh?

 

[ReeferBen]

I do believe there are more then one type. I noticed in my old tanks I had two clearly different types and one was always near sps where the others seemed to be more scavengers. JMO.

 

[revaltion131]

I'm queasy about watching something butcher something else as well, but Harlequins really don't make a visible mess, the star just slowly dissappears. They often drag it off to their 'lair' back in the rocks so you don't see them eating, anyway. As others have said, one would not go after your brittles as they are too strong and fast for the shrimp.

 

[JuniorMC8704]

this is about as graphic as it gets with the shrimp

 

[bkv1997]

When the shrimp get bigger they will turn on smaller brittles and even urchins.

Good thing is they can easily be removed as they come running when a starfish is introduced.

Just my 2 cents.
Brandon

 

[JuniorMC8704]

i suppose if you didnt provide them with a chocolate chip they would turn on just about anything....as would most shrimp or other inverts...

i suppose just like fish, each are a little different.

When the shrimp get bigger they will turn on smaller brittles and even urchins.

Good thing is they can easily be removed as they come running when a starfish is introduced.

Just my 2 cents.
Brandon

 

[rackyrane]

Alright, you guys have convinced me. I'm going to look for a harlequin. I will probably have to get it online as our LFS has a very limited supply of just about everything. We only have one SWF store here in Albuquerque which is a pain in the patoot. I suspect the Doctors will have them. Anyone have any other ideas where I can get one that may be a bit cheaper?

By the way, the brittle stars I'm talking about are the little tiny ones that are hitchhikers. Am I calling them the wrong thing?

 

[JuniorMC8704]

nope those are mini brittles, and they usually dont look that hard for food.

they would really need to be motivated.

 

[RyanG]

Harlequins are just cool anyways, its a win win situation IMO. Just make sure you keep stars coming. Ive heard that you can keep several stars in the sump and rotate them in and out to lessen the overall cost of feeding them.