Asterina stars

[cthegame]

They are popping up everywhere in my tank all of a sudden. I found one that is huge and most of them are small, some in between but over all, A LOT of them, i see them everywhere.

I know they are good & bad. I have seen a few of them on my[SIZE=-2] Anthilia [/SIZE]but havent noticed any damage. Should i let them be or remove? They are multiplying fast and i worry that it will be a matter of time till they get my corals. harlequin shrimp?

 

[sen5241b]

I had the kind with a bluish spot in the center and they will eat your coralline and turn it white. At first I let them go --mistake. Now, I pick them out with a pair of tweezers being careful not to let them break apart. If another appeared, I'd remove it immediately! Haven't seen one in over a month.

 

[cthegame]

The ones in my tank dont have any blue color. Should i take them out?

 

[yote]

If they are multiplying that quick,I'd start pullin em.

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

i have about 75 of them in my tank they multiply fast. im not to concerned about them only because im gonna be breaking down my 72 gallon and sell it.

 

[cthegame]

what should i do when i pull them out? I feel bad about killing them

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

i would pull them out.

 

[yote]

Drop em in the sump if your running one.If no sump,drop in a shot glass full of vodka.

 

[cthegame]

Sump it is! Thanks guys

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

ahh i think the shotglass full of vodka was the better more ethical way to go!

 

[Bifferwine]

I never used to have any. And in the last 3 months or so, I've seen hundreds of them. Which is weird, since I haven't added anything to my tank in probably a year or so. Exponential growth.

When I get a chance, I pull them out with tweezers and move them to my fuge. But I know it's pointless. There are still hundreds the next day when I'm done. So far I've only seen them on my glass though.

 

[Teixeira29]

If there multipling that fast i would get rid of them. Vodka in a shot glass is your best bet!

 

[jhnrb]

I had thousands of these guys, in fact it was so bad they were about an inch apart on the glass during the day time, and at night well really bad, so I added a harlequin shrimp and walla, took care of the problem. So get one if you want to do it the narural way. dontput um in your sump, they will migrate up your piping and tubing and end up back in the tank eventually, us a harlequin shrimp to take care of the infestation. they only eat stars and nothing else. good luck.

 

[sen5241b]

I picked mine out with tweezers before they multiplied out of control.

 

[project5k]

any chance we could get some pics of these, so i know what to watch out for in the future?

 

[daugherty]

here is is some pics of them

 

[cthegame]

I saw one on one of my corals yesterday doing damage. :grumble: I removed it but its really hard to find them all.

 

[sen5241b]

Not to worry we humans have an amazing ability to wipe out a species --just keep picking them out.

 

[Alexander]

Here is the deal guys. These things for the most part get a really bad wrap. Even robert fenner has spoken to it and in the stars defense. When people see them on corals they are likely doing no damage that was not already done. What they in fact will do is they will be attracted to corals that already have dead or dying tissue and they are eating that not actual healthy part of your corals. I can speak to experience on this as they used to attach to the bottom of my toadstool leather which had part of it dying. Its now massive and healty with no stars on it while the same population of a hundred or so is in my tank. Population surges and decline seem to be natural. I have experienced rapid growth in my system and then it has seemed to level off and go down then back up. Hope this helps a bit. Seems to remind me of similar situations like when you hear noobs freakin about bristle worms.