Worm and starfish infestation

[casadesturgeon]

I have had an odd influx of worm and starfish population to the point it has to be tens of thousands. I have lost quite a few LPS and SPS corals in the last few month and they die quickly. Out of all my chemistry the only thing that runs high is phosphates. But have removers in the system and they are now at 0.06. I have sent my water in for lab testing but everything seems to be in line. I know everyone loves the clean up crews but I think this is what is causing my tank to semi crash. I lost my raja rampage most recently and all the stores had no good answer as to why it’s look changed and then bleached and died in two weeks Water gets changed every two weeks nothing on the Hanna tester shows something way off. Has anyone had this happen and how to reverse it before losing more coral.
AlsoAll fish and claims are okay. But snails, shrimp and arrow crabs died

 

[fishface NJ]

Are you feeding a lot?

 

[Llyod276]

Get a wrasse, they'll be controlled and you'll have one fat wrasse. 6line will clean this up in no time.

 

[Isopod80]

The worm and starfish populations grow to the levels of available food. I'm guessing your nutrients and detritus must be pretty high to support massive numbers of these creatures. I'd look there first.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Go get a 6 line wrasse. Or a dottyback. And build a worm trap. Takes 5 minutes and a tup-o-ware. I can show you if you need. Starfish are annoying but a harlequin shrimp or wrasse will murder them.

 

[casadesturgeon]

The worm and starfish populations grow to the levels of available food. I'm guessing your nutrients and detritus must be pretty high to support massive numbers of these creatures. I'd look there first.

I’m feeding once every other day and minimal amounts

 

[casadesturgeon]

Go get a 6 line wrasse. Or a dottyback. And build a worm trap. Takes 5 minutes and a tup-o-ware. I can show you if you need. Starfish are annoying but a harlequin shrimp or wrasse will murder them.

Thanks I have a worm trap I set daily, my 6 line hasn’t made a dent.

 

[casadesturgeon]

The worm and starfish populations grow to the levels of available food. I'm guessing your nutrients and detritus must be pretty high to support massive numbers of these creatures. I'd look there first.

Thanks I hardly feed the fish tank. Reef rods once a week and the fish get fed every other day (and also was told I need to feed more since my nitrates are at zero) I have 165 gallon tank with 10 fish that gets minimal food. My biggest mystery is the fact my snails and shrimp died off along with the LPS. So not sure if the increase population of worms and starfish have something to do with the change in the tank that killed other clearness. My fish seem healthy and happy

 

[MaxTremors]

The worm and starfish populations grow to the levels of available food. I'm guessing your nutrients and detritus must be pretty high to support massive numbers of these creatures. I'd look there first.

This, they don’t get to these proportions unless you’re massively over feeding. I would cut whatever you’re feeding by at least 50% and then set some traps to catch as many as you can and/or get a fish that will eat them. I don’t believe that either of these are what killed your coral, the only way I could see that happening is if there were so many of them that the coral was smothered by them for a prolonged period of time, but they didn’t eat a live coral.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A couple of arrow crabs will clean up the bristles for you.

 

[fishface NJ]

If your nitrate is low, dose nitrates liquid

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Thanks I hardly feed the fish tank. Reef rods once a week and the fish get fed every other day (and also was told I need to feed more since my nitrates are at zero) I have 165 gallon tank with 10 fish that gets minimal food. My biggest mystery is the fact my snails and shrimp died off along with the LPS. So not sure if the increase population of worms and starfish have something to do with the change in the tank that killed other clearness. My fish seem healthy and happy

Asterina eat coral so yeah pretty sure they killed your LPS

 

[homer1475]

Asterina eat coral so yeah pretty sure they killed your LPS

Not entirely true. There is only one type that actually eat coral, and the likely hood of those being the ones in your tank is pretty slim.

For the most part asternia are unsightly, but they are pretty harmless.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Not entirely true. There is only one type that actually eat coral, and the likely hood of those being the ones in your tank is pretty slim.

For the most part asternia are unsightly, but they are pretty harmless.

Only the pure white, and I mean no spot of color at all on them, are coral safe asterina. And they’re more common than you give them credit for. I had them and there’s a bazillion threads on R2R with people that have issues with them eating coral.

 

[homer1475]

Highly debatable topic, and I for one stand by what I've said. You'll find everyone has them, and you'll find just as many people that have never had an issue with them, as you will with people who do.

In 20+ years in the hobby I have never seen an asternia eat a coral. Dead flesh, sure, but healthy living tissue, no.

I have always had them, and have never had an issue with them.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Highly debatable topic, and I for one stand by what I've said. You'll find everyone has them, and you'll find just as many people that have never had an issue with them, as you will with people who do.

In 20+ years in the hobby I have never seen an asternia eat a coral. Dead flesh, sure, but healthy living tissue, no.

I have always had them, and have never had an issue with them.

Just because you have not seen it does not mean it does not occur. The pure white ones are 100% safe. Any spot of color on them and they’re coral murderers. I’ve personally had both. If I was losing coral and had asterina I’d murder them. No reason not whether they are the cause or not it’s best practice to make sure they don’t eat your coral.

Edit: the 20+ year flex really irritates me. Just because you have been reefing longer than some of us does not mean you have seen everything that exists in this hobby. Had someone just like you argue that asterina are always solid white and never have any spot of color. Just because it’s outside your considerable experience with reefs does not mean someone else has not experienced it

 

[MaxTremors]

Asterina eat coral so yeah pretty sure they killed your LPS

Asterinas do not eat coral. I feel like people just repeat this, or see an asterina near a coral that’s not doing well and just assume it’s being eaten. In the two decades I’ve been reefing, in the 15 or so tanks I’ve had, all of which had asterinas, 3-4 different species, I’ve never once had any of them eat any corals.

Also, recently learned that what we call ‘asterina’ starfish are not actually in the genus Asterina, they’re in Aquilonastra.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Asterinas do not eat coral. I feel like people just repeat this, or see an asterina near a coral that’s not doing well and just assume it’s being eaten. In the two decades I’ve been reefing, in the 15 or so tanks I’ve had, all of which had asterinas, 3-4 different species, I’ve never once had any of them eat any corals.

Also, recently learned that what we call ‘asterina’ starfish are not actually in the genus Asterina, they’re in Aquilonastra.

I watched them consume healthy zoa and LPS. Ive pulled countless numbers of them off of my Zoa polyps that were open and healthy that same day. I’ve been reefing just as long as you have and have gone through multiple tanks. Again, because you have not seen it does not mean it does not occur.

Edit: also props on the genus change I wasn’t aware they were actually asterina.

 

[Paul B]

I don't know about any of this but I will say I have thousands of Brittle stars and asternia stars.

Sometimes my glass looks like the Andromeda Galaxy. I also have a mated pair of 6 line wrasses along with enough bristle worms to make a nice meal of spaghetti and "wormballs" out of and never a problem with any corals since Nixon was President. He was after Lincoln.

I also have an old wife who sometimes tells me Old Wives Tales. But she still looks great.

I am sure some of these things eat coral, but I personally have never seen it so maybe I have the wrong kind.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

I don't know about any of this but I will say I have thousands of Brittle stars and asternia stars.

Sometimes my glass looks like the Andromeda Galaxy. I also have a mated pair of 6 line wrasses along with enough bristle worms to make a nice meal of spaghetti and "wormballs" out of and never a problem with any corals since Nixon was President. He was after Lincoln.

I also have an old wife who sometimes tells me Old Wives Tales. But she still looks great.

Good lord those bristle worms.