Why do some reefers hate these little guys?

[Lavey29]

I think they are cute and an intricate part of the overall biome.

 

[KQuillan]

I would like to know myself. I had a few in my tank, and they never got out of control. They must have been eaten since I haven't seen any in a while.

 

[Fish Fan]

I am so with you! I went like 20 years thinking these were good guys to have. Only recently here on R2R am I hearing people having a problem with these little stars.

I'm interested to see what others say here.

Good post!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

i duuno! i always liked them but was told that they irrate coral and all kinds of bad stuff. so i am always picking them out! but id be glad to leave them!

 

[Lavey29]

I've got a highly stocked mixed reef and have never seen these little guys bother anything but their population has always remained moderate. I think an invert may eat them maybe the banded shrimp.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

I've never had an issue with them. Their population seems to increase and decrease with algae growth. I have seen them collect of the edge of a coral that is STNing. I think they eat the bacteria, or whatever microorganisms are consuming the coral tissue. I think this is where a lot of their bad rap comes from. I wouldn't be completely surprised if there were some species that eat coral. But in 25 years and servicing countless reef tanks, I haven't seen it.

 

[Fish Styx]

There are over 60 different Asterina sp., some of which do eat coral. The two biggest issues that many, including myself, have with them are 1) it is exceedingly difficult to tell which variety you have until it is too late; and 2) they reproduce via fragmentation and their populations can quickly reach plague-level proportions given ample access to food. Double whammy if that nutrition source happens to be your coral.

Some hobbyists do like them, though, and view them as benign members of their CUC. I do not, and maintain a zero tolerance policy based on past (bad) experience with them. IMMV

 

[jayala12]

Some varieties eat zoas. I’ve had first hand experience with that. And they always pick the high end ones.

 

[exnisstech]

For 8 years I never minded them. Recently I've witnessed them killing zoas and eating flesh off acropora. I have at least two types but am treating them all as predators now.

This bare spot is what was left when I removed one from this acro.

 

[Tahoe61]

That very cute little guy can wipe out a zoanthid frag in hours.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

i think ill keep pickin them!

 

[exnisstech]

I added a Harlequin shrimp to my acro tank to deal with the little buggers. I have several tanks with the stars so he has no shortage of food.

 

[Fish Fan]

For 8 years I never minded them. Recently I've witnessed them killing zoas and eating flesh off acropora. I have at least two types but am treating them all as predators now.

This bare spot is what was left when I removed one from this acro.

Great post!

Is that like a 1 ounce plastic cup? Those spuds on the bottom of the photo do indeed seem to be much larger and more menacing in appearance compared to what I've had in my tanks.

 

[exnisstech]

Great post!

Is that like a 1 ounce plastic cup? Those spuds on the bottom of the photo do indeed seem to be much larger and more menacing in appearance compared to what I've had in my tanks.

I can't find the image but I measured one a while back and it was 1/2"

 

[Fish Fan]

I can't find the image but I measured one a while back and it was 1/2"

Thank you!

 

[Battlecorals]

I think they are cute and an intricate part of the overall biome.

Same here. I do not understand the fear people have of these things.

I honestly love them and have many thousands in my systems just scavenging away. Same goes for the teeny forktail flatworm. Not evil in any way.

 

[andrew1yang]

I think they are cute and an intricate part of the overall biome.

From what I’ve read people always say they’re invasive and multiply a lot but personally I like looking at them

 

[VintageReefer]

There are many many varieties of these tiny starfish and many of them eat coral. Some eat various biofilms and algae. Some eat zoanthids. Some eat sps

For 20 years I had no fear of these guys and wouldn’t pay any attention to them. Well at some point, in the last year or so, a different variety got in my system. They all look extremely similar. And next thing I know..a 25p colony of exosphere is losing more and more polyps daily. In a week the entire colony was almost destroyed. I was down to 5. Documenting daily. Doing dips. And it hit me. Every photo has the stars. Ones with red splotches on the back

I made a thread askin for help with my exosphere colony and explained what’s happening. It was confirmed to be the starfish. I put them l kill
an isolation bin as a test. I stopped losing them. And in time started regrowing. At that point i didn’t know what stars are ok and which ones are threats. I got a harlequin. Problem was solved

Anyone who blindly and confidently says they are safe, simply has not been exposed to the dangerous ones.

 

[JonoH]

I find a few in my tank every now and again...generally eating Zoa's!

 

[polarbeard]

Am I the only one who doesn’t know what these are? Other than obviously some kind of starfish lol