Tiny White Starfish
- Thread starter p fish
- Start date
stevedave08
Member
Originally Posted by P Fish
http:///forum/post/3203031
I'm starting to see tiny white starfish growing in my reef.
Safe or Dangerous???
Look up pics of asterina stars. If they are those, then they are bad news. Get them out.
http:///forum/post/3203031
I'm starting to see tiny white starfish growing in my reef.
Safe or Dangerous???
Look up pics of asterina stars. If they are those, then they are bad news. Get them out.
nigerbang
Active Member
Asterina Anomal - Typically a harmless herbivore, members of the Asterina family are all but impossible to identify down to a species level. Since as with most marine families, there are members whose diets vary greatly, which can lead to confusion as to which species is reef safe or not.
For the most part Asterina stars are harmless.. There are others that closely resemble astrina's that are coralivores though..
For the most part Asterina stars are harmless.. There are others that closely resemble astrina's that are coralivores though..
ophiura
Active Member
In nearly all cases they are harmless if Asterina stars. Most people with LR have them, and very few have issues.
If there are problems, most people report damage to coralline. In most tanks this is irrelevant. The white patches on coralline is a natural response to grazing from these stars. In most tanks loss of coralline is easily replaced.
Second to this are some that eat soft or SPS corals. Of these, I guarantee many people are not seeing predatory stars, they are just assuming there is an issue with them and the corals die for other reasons.
It is best not hype things and potentially freak people out before we even know what the issues are I think.
I assure you after many years of experience it is quite rare to enounter problems. Not impossible, but rare. Keep an eye out, but there is no reason to "banish" anything just because.
BTW, seastar experts can not identify these to species by picture. Coloration and number of arms is not diagnostic. and for all we know, you have brittlestars, or even tiny hydroid jellyfish that people often think are stars too....
If there are problems, most people report damage to coralline. In most tanks this is irrelevant. The white patches on coralline is a natural response to grazing from these stars. In most tanks loss of coralline is easily replaced.
Second to this are some that eat soft or SPS corals. Of these, I guarantee many people are not seeing predatory stars, they are just assuming there is an issue with them and the corals die for other reasons.
It is best not hype things and potentially freak people out before we even know what the issues are I think.
BTW, seastar experts can not identify these to species by picture. Coloration and number of arms is not diagnostic. and for all we know, you have brittlestars, or even tiny hydroid jellyfish that people often think are stars too....
nigerbang
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/3203295
Second to this are some that eat soft or SPS corals. Of these, I guarantee many people are not seeing predatory stars, they are just assuming there is an issue with them and the corals die for other reasons.
I can actually say without doubt at all.. I do have quite a few of this type.. They at one point had consumed about 70% of my GSP and several other types of zoa's. I understand they are rare at best , but then again.. I never have "normal" issues or pests.. LOL
http:///forum/post/3203295
Second to this are some that eat soft or SPS corals. Of these, I guarantee many people are not seeing predatory stars, they are just assuming there is an issue with them and the corals die for other reasons.
I can actually say without doubt at all.. I do have quite a few of this type.. They at one point had consumed about 70% of my GSP and several other types of zoa's. I understand they are rare at best , but then again.. I never have "normal" issues or pests.. LOL
nigerbang
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/3203361
There is no doubt there are predatory types. No doubt. But that doesn't mean just because you see one that you need to destroy them
The route I have taken so far has been to manually remove them when I catch them.. They used to be all over my GSP. Easiest to see them at night for obv. reasons.. You could pick them off the tissue and see where they had created holes into the flesh of the coral. After a few months I have gotten the numbers down enough to where it is growing back and filling back out. i have removed a few from zoas where they were munching down on them also.. Nowhere near the number on zoa's as the GSP though.
http:///forum/post/3203361
There is no doubt there are predatory types. No doubt. But that doesn't mean just because you see one that you need to destroy them
The route I have taken so far has been to manually remove them when I catch them.. They used to be all over my GSP. Easiest to see them at night for obv. reasons.. You could pick them off the tissue and see where they had created holes into the flesh of the coral. After a few months I have gotten the numbers down enough to where it is growing back and filling back out. i have removed a few from zoas where they were munching down on them also.. Nowhere near the number on zoa's as the GSP though.
ophiura
Active Member
Sorry, I meant that any given hobbyist...if someone sees one, they do not have to panic. If they see a problem, as you did, there needs to be a plan. But I have loads of these stars and no issues, and I know a lot of others in the same boat. so in general there is no reason to panic. Many animals that we intentionally add are as much a risk and we don't think twice (eg crabs of many sorts).
nigerbang
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/3203376
Sorry, I meant that any given hobbyist...if someone sees one, they do not have to panic. If they see a problem, as you did, there needs to be a plan. But I have loads of these stars and no issues, and I know a lot of others in the same boat. so in general there is no reason to panic. Many animals that we intentionally add are as much a risk and we don't think twice (eg crabs of many sorts).
Yeah.. The ole "kill it with fire" approach is reckless.. I have 100's of small ones in there that are fine.. My only targets are the ones I catch in the act.. The above post saying that astrinas are bad and get them out right away was unfounded and wasn't great advice.. Nothing against the poster.. Maybe they are mis-informed or had a bad experience..
http:///forum/post/3203376
Sorry, I meant that any given hobbyist...if someone sees one, they do not have to panic. If they see a problem, as you did, there needs to be a plan. But I have loads of these stars and no issues, and I know a lot of others in the same boat. so in general there is no reason to panic. Many animals that we intentionally add are as much a risk and we don't think twice (eg crabs of many sorts).
Yeah.. The ole "kill it with fire" approach is reckless.. I have 100's of small ones in there that are fine.. My only targets are the ones I catch in the act.. The above post saying that astrinas are bad and get them out right away was unfounded and wasn't great advice.. Nothing against the poster.. Maybe they are mis-informed or had a bad experience..
