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#1
06-23-2015, 06:13 PM
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asterina stars eating zoas?
So my nano is full of zoas and I've been picking asterinas daily (maybe its just one asterina that keeps going back for more) off one frag of zoas. The zoas look fine albeit ****ed that an asterina is sitting on them and then one day they're just gone. Currently I have 2 polyps of their little buffet left on the frag and am actively removing the stars completely when i can. Do these zoas have something about them that the asterinas like (ie, they're on their way out?) or are the asterinas just hungry for flesh (theres no "edible" algae in the tank, and when I say "edible" I mean there's a big path of turf algae that nobody wants, lol).
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Christy's Reef Blog My 180 Build Every electronic component is shipped with smoke stored deep inside.... only a real genius can find a way to set it free. 
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#2
06-23-2015, 06:30 PM
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Im convinced they eat zoas. No matter their type.
Most people say the zoas are probably dying which is why the stars are munching on them. But i have hundreds of these stars in my tank and they dont touch any corals i own. But when i kept zoas i too would find them on the zoa then the zoas gone by morning. I always see my stars hanging around patches of glass that have i missed with the algae magnet.
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#3
06-23-2015, 06:49 PM
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I also believe they eat zoa's , was having issues wih small 1-2 polyp zoa frags disappearing and I would always find asterinas on the plugs . Got a harlequin shrimp and now I no longer have the problem. Mind you I still feed my shrimp legs but he steady eats the asterinas in between feedings . Also have both colors of asterina's brown and white and they both are found on zoa frags .
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#5
06-23-2015, 06:54 PM
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Thanks for the info guys! I hate the little buggers anyways but now I hate them even more!
__________________
Christy's Reef Blog My 180 Build Every electronic component is shipped with smoke stored deep inside.... only a real genius can find a way to set it free.
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#6
06-23-2015, 09:12 PM
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The starfish could just be taking advantage of an already injured zoa. If you have a large amphipod population they will eat zoas (mostly at night) and then the starfish will roll up and hit the exposed flesh. At least from my experience. They are both a predator for zoas as far as I'm concerned. Best way to tell is take a look with a flashlight after the lights have been off for a few hours. Solution = shrimp and wrasses.
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#7
06-23-2015, 06:51 PM
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the thing is these zoas look fine. I mean they're fully extended, happy and healthy looking. Next thing I see an asterina sitting on them. I pull it off and they're all closed up and pinchy. Then another asterina gets on them. Next thing they're little stubs and they melt away (or get eaten overnight). Effing asterinas. Guess I'll be hand picking them out. I don't think this frag is long for this world, one is super pinchy today and the one next to it isn't thrilled about Tuesday. Grr!
__________________
Christy's Reef Blog My 180 Build Every electronic component is shipped with smoke stored deep inside.... only a real genius can find a way to set it free.
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#8
06-23-2015, 06:52 PM
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Quote:
__________________
Christy's Reef Blog My 180 Build Every electronic component is shipped with smoke stored deep inside.... only a real genius can find a way to set it free.
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#10
06-26-2015, 04:12 AM
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My harlequin pair did a number on my red star and it passed
My pair have since been re-homed to another member who had an asterina outbreak As far as the OP thread goes, I guess I've been lucky. I had a huge outbreak of asterinas last year and they never touched my zoos or palys. I had maybe a hundred visible stars before I bought my harlequins. In retrospect I should have got my params in check, not kill off the stars. Last edited by gregzz4; 06-26-2015 at 04:15 AM.
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