Why do some reefers hate these little guys?

[Mark Goode]

:face-with-hand-over-mouth:Ok I’m kidding! It’s a crown of thorn starfish and it’s primary diet is corals! Googled for the image

I was just making a silly question

Ha! I guessed that one right!

 

[nanoreefer23]

I like them. I save them from frag dips sometimes and throw them into the tank but they don’t seem to reproduce. Either my Sixline or assorted hermits are eating them most likely.

 

[KrisReef]

There are many many varieties of these tiny starfish and many of them eat coral. Some eat various biofilms and algae. Some eat zoanthids. Some eat sps

For 20 years I had no fear of these guys and wouldn’t pay any attention to them. Well at some point, in the last year or so, a different variety got in my system. They all look extremely similar. And next thing I know..a 25p colony of exosphere is losing more and more polyps daily. In a week the entire colony was almost destroyed. I was down to 5. Documenting daily. Doing dips. And it hit me. Every photo has the stars. Ones with red splotches on the back

I made a thread askin for help with my exosphere colony and explained what’s happening. It was confirmed to be the starfish. I put them l kill
an isolation bin as a test. I stopped losing them. And in time started regrowing. At that point i didn’t know what stars are ok and which ones are threats. I got a harlequin. Problem was solved

Anyone who blindly and confidently says they are safe, simply has not been exposed to the dangerous ones.

That’s another good summary of how these cute little starfish can be a problem once they are in a tank.

My plague was not killing anything that I could see but there were hundreds maybe thousands and they were distracting and blocking the view. I kept a harlequin shrimp and then the starfish climbed the walls to stay away from the shrimp.

They are like viruses, some are a mild flu and others will/can kill you. They are not cute unless you are certain what you have.

 

[ryshark]

I have a type that eats coralline algae, so my rocks don't turn that nice purple color. However, the benefit is that my back wall stays black and I don't have to dose nearly as much alk/cal.

 

[VintageReefer]

I have a type that eats coralline algae, so my rocks don't turn that nice purple color. However, the benefit is that my back wall stays black and I don't have to dose nearly as much alk/cal.

Oh I got those …they exploded population and I just don’t know if these will go after anything else. I don’t have the harlequin anymore but am contemplating getting one again. These are all smaller than normal ones, I don’t know if these are all babies or if this is full grown.

 

[ryshark]

Oh I got those …they exploded population and I just don’t know if these will go after anything else. I don’t have the harlequin anymore but am contemplating getting one again. These are all smaller than normal ones, I don’t know if these are all babies or if this is full grown.

Yeah, they are and stay small. As far as I know they only go after algae.

 

[themcnertney]

I had thousands back a few years ago and ended up getting a harlequin shrimp to help control the population. Never had any issues with coral, but could be the colonies were big enough, I didn't notice?

 

[Lavey29]

Oh I got those …they exploded population and I just don’t know if these will go after anything else. I don’t have the harlequin anymore but am contemplating getting one again. These are all smaller than normal ones, I don’t know if these are all babies or if this is full grown.

Those are similar to mine

 

[Tamberav]

I think they are cute and an intricate part of the overall biome.

I like them.

I think there is one that is naughty but most are helpful and people just want something to blame when something goes wrong.

 

[Lavey29]

I like them.

I think there is one that is naughty but most are helpful and people just want something to blame when something goes wrong.

Yes I agree

 

[shakacuz]

personally would rather keep something out of my tank that has the potential to be harmful, or overpopulate to numbers i cannot physically keep up with. since there are species that do target corals, i wouldn't chance it for that reason, as well.

 

[VintageReefer]

Yes I agree

There are many that are naughty
And many that are safe and beneficial

 

[Tahoe61]

I like them.

I think there is one that is naughty but most are helpful and people just want something to blame when something goes wrong.

Or some types are actual coral eaters. It's well documented.

https://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101-

 

[OriginalUserName]

I'm in the hate category. My population went crazy and they are annoying and ate a ton of my coralline algae.

 

[Tamberav]

Or some types are actual coral eaters. It's well documented.

https://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101-

Or some types are actual coral eaters. It's well documented.

https://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101-

Yes I said at least one. But even the article says 5 percent. Not many.

I have only ever had one coral eater one, bigger and brown. And I have had what feels like trillions of hitchhikers that were algae eaters or only ate dying flesh of corals.

 

[Lavey29]

I still think something eats them in my tank because my population is always the same basically. I have a serpent star, banded shrimp and bunch of hermits so they must keep the little guys in check.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I don’t mind them in my display tank. But I don’t want them in my frag tank, I try to limit hitchhikers.

 

[VintageReefer]

 

[Lavey29]

I think I'm being profiled.

 

[civber]

I can’t say whether I like them or not—I’ve never had any. :)