white starfish creatures

jwill275

jwill275

Member
I often see what appears to be white starfish on my tank glass. As I was doing a water change today I was using my baster to clean off the rock and what I thought at first was calcium chips turned out to be dozens of these little creatures. My rock has gotten very white over the last couple of months, do these creatures do any harm to the tank. How can I get rid of them?
 
mx#28

mx#28

Active Member
Originally Posted by jwill275
http:///forum/post/2742614
I often see what appears to be white starfish on my tank glass. As I was doing a water change today I was using my baster to clean off the rock and what I thought at first was calcium chips turned out to be dozens of these little creatures. My rock has gotten very white over the last couple of months, do these creatures do any harm to the tank. How can I get rid of them?
They are likely Asterina sp stars. They are common hitchikers and most are not problematic.
 
hypertek99

hypertek99

Member
Sounds like asterina stars. Do they have like 3 legs?? They are harmless but will become a pest. They will multiply very fast. When they get bigger/older they will develop a taste for zoanthids. Oh and when they get bigger they have more legs.
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
while I agree it sounds like asterinas, i never heard of them eating zoanthids... anyone else heard of this?
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
In my reading the white ones are harmless except that they may increase in numbers to be a nuisance. They can be removed at each water change, just siphon them out.
The problem are the mottled, splotchy brown and black dotted ones. They are definitely coral polyp eaters. Don't know about Zoas but they do eat SPS polyps.
 
spiderwoman

spiderwoman

Active Member
I've seen white ones eat my poly's, took out half of a huge zoa colony. I had at least 4 of those in there. First I thought it was sponge...
 
larrynews

larrynews

Active Member
i was just reading on another site about Harlequin shrimp would take care of them, when they are gone you would need to feed the shrimp. any thoughts
 
bojik

bojik

Member
Originally Posted by Hypertek99
http:///forum/post/2743527
Sounds like asterina stars. Do they have like 3 legs?? They are harmless but will become a pest. They will multiply very fast. When they get bigger/older they will develop a taste for zoanthids. Oh and when they get bigger they have more legs.
Depends on the species i think. The ones I have vary 3-6 legs dependent if they are freshly split in two or getting ready to split. Not had them do anything other than graze algae.
 
bojik

bojik

Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2743747
In my reading the white ones are harmless except that they may increase in numbers to be a nuisance. They can be removed at each water change, just siphon them out.
The problem are the mottled, splotchy brown and black dotted ones. They are definitely coral polyp eaters. Don't know about Zoas but they do eat SPS polyps.
Or one of those shrimp that eat starfish. They will help. If the tank is larger there is a fish or two that eat them. Although the one I'm thinking of but cannot remember the name of requires lots of room.
 
anonome

anonome

Active Member
Most are ok, but I have had some that took up liking the taste of coralline algae. Just take out the ones that prove to be bad. Here is a pic to show you the coralline after I picked off the starfish.
 
tdog7879

tdog7879

Member
Originally Posted by Anonome
http:///forum/post/2744374
Most are ok, but I have had some that took up liking the taste of coralline algae. Just take out the ones that prove to be bad. Here is a pic to show you the coralline after I picked off the starfish.
do they just appear? or do tthey come with new live rock or coral? I saw 2 of them in my tank but haven't seem them lately. My LFS has a reef tank that is cover in them but only on the glass not on any corals.
 
hypertek99

hypertek99

Member
Like i said before. They will reproduce very fast. Why take the chances just pick them out now. They will become a pest down the road. If you want to do your reef tank right the first time now is the time to pick them out when the numbers are low. Yes a harlequin shrimp will take care of them. The harlequin shrimps eat only starfish and nothing else. So once they demolish the stars you will have to buy more to feed them.
 
hypertek99

hypertek99

Member
Oh and the white ones do eat zoos. Trust me. I have been doing saltwater for over 9 years now. Experience is knowledge.
 
larrynews

larrynews

Active Member
what kind of fish eat them, i had some zoas vanish over time ,couldn't figure out why, no pyramid snails maybe that is it...so i need what kind of fish eat them
thanks
larry
 
hypertek99

hypertek99

Member
Originally Posted by larrynews
http:///forum/post/2744831
what kind of fish eat them, i had some zoas vanish over time ,couldn't figure out why, no pyramid snails maybe that is it...so i need what kind of fish eat them
thanks
larry
Don't know if any fish will eat them. But a Harlequin shrimp will.
 
hypertek99

hypertek99

Member
Originally Posted by Bojik
http:///forum/post/2745645
they leave mine alone *shrugs*
Oh some will leave it alone. But oneday when they turn on the zoos. Don't say i didn't warn you. Easier to pick them out when the numbers are small than be sorry when they start eating and they multiplied.
 
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