Starfish eating my zoas

[Rumen]

Any one ever have this problem. ...I noticed my zoas are getting less and less by day. ..couldn't figure out y...I noticed a star fish rite on top of one my zoas but didn't think anything... then I came in the next day and that one polyp gone...Did another test when I saw the starfish on another zoa .. left it and boom zoa gone again... I didn't know starfish eats zoas. .

 

[CRW Reef]

Yes sir time for a Harlequin Shrimp my brother! AA can get you quickly just give Cris C a call.

 

[CRW Reef]

and yes despite what some people claim and or say I have seen the same thing happen many many many many times in my tank not sure if they are eating them or if they are cleaning decay and just so happen to irritate the zoas enough it starts to melt and blow away. Again I would start with manual removal of as many as you can see with your eyes and get to, but it will take a harlequin shrimp to eradicate them. Once they are gone you will need to either supplemental feed it with chocolate starfish, sell or DBTC

 

[Rumen]

Ok thx chad ...cris is on it ....I'm just gonna remove them and freeze them for the shrimp

 

[Munch]

Yup, I have the same issue, picked up a Harlequin this weekend!

 

[BrianH]

Have any of you been able to ID this type of zoa eating/irritating starfish? Just for my own curiosity.

 

[High Plains Reefer]

do you remember the huge frag of utter chaos you gave me well its half the size thanks to one of those guys

 

[High Plains Reefer]

Brian, they are astrenia stars

 

[BrianH]

Thanks. Good luck with those little jerks, Rumen.

 

[crisc]

I have one for you at the shop! They got scratched from my order today or else I would have more.
Funny, I have had these guys in my tanks for 15 years and have never witnessed them eating any coral but there are 100's of varieties of astrenia.

 

[jda123]

It is not very likely that they are killing the zoas... more likely that they are just taking advantage of a free meal. In any case, it won't hurt anything to get rid of them.

I might suggest that you look for another cause for the receding zoas.

 

[Rumen]

Oh man so I'm not the only on ... hope the shrimp whip them out...

 

[Rumen]

do you remember the huge frag of utter chaos you gave me well its half the size thanks to one of those guys

Hate those buggers... Don't worry ken I got back up...my utter are the fastest growing zoa in my tank for some reason... I get one or two polyp a week from them...

 

[Rumen]

I have one for you at the shop! They got scratched from my order today or else I would have more.
Funny, I have had these guys in my tanks for 15 years and have never witnessed them eating any coral but there are 100's of varieties of astrenia.

Kool well stop by in the weekend for them thank u sir.

 

[BrianH]

The article I just read said "It has been estimated that of all the Asterina sp. varieties, only around 5% are coral eating species, which is good news for aquarists since they are so common in our systems."
http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/45-reefkeeping-101-

 

[Rumen]

So I'm guessing I got that 5 %

 

[Rumen]

Just got the shrimp in the tank today. ..1 hour after I put it in alot of the starfish are on the run...never seen so much on the glass before. .

Running for higher ground haha

 

[BrianH]

Wow. That is really cool to see!