Something is eating my coralline algae!

[fresh]

Originally Posted by Titus99

Got a urchin?

Also red that emerald crabs will eat it to

No urchins as the post states, and I don't have any crabs (not even hermits).

Originally Posted by noirsphynx

Any asterina star fish? I had some in one of my tanks that were eating the coraline.

Come to think of it, I have many of those! Could they be the culprit? How to get rid of them, and should I?

Originally Posted by reefwars

its the chitons for sure i have about 50 of them they breed easily , im not sure eating your coraline is a bad thing is it??

It is when you do see rocks I am not as lucky as you where my rocks are hidden by my corals (at least not yet)

So then based on this, it could be the single chiton I have, or the asterina starfish. It might be the starfish as I have started to notice their population going up recently.

I don't want to remove something beneficial that doesn't need to be removed. And now after what reefwars said, I am even leaning towards leaving whatever is eating the coralline alone.

I am not too worried about it, but I like the coralline look and just thought to mention it to get some thoughts from the experts.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by fresh

No urchins as the post states, and I don't have any crabs (not even hermits).



Come to think of it, I have many of those! Could they be the culprit? How to get rid of them, and should I?



It is when you do see rocks I am not as lucky as you where my rocks are hidden by my corals (at least not yet)

So then based on this, it could be the single chiton I have, or the asterina starfish. It might be the starfish as I have started to notice their population going up recently.

I don't want to remove something beneficial that doesn't need to be removed. And now after what reefwars said, I am even leaning towards leaving whatever is eating the coralline alone.

I am not too worried about it, but I like the coralline look and just thought to mention it to get some thoughts from the experts.

the coraline will out grow the chitons easily its just a matter of time

[MKLKT]

Odds are that whatever is eating it is also "returning" it to the tank and spreading coralline even more.

[fresh]

Originally Posted by reefwars

the coraline will out grow the chitons easily its just a matter of time

Originally Posted by MKLKT

Odds are that whatever is eating it is also "returning" it to the tank and spreading coralline even more.

I must say that my coralline has been growing in the last year or so, so you both are probably correct.

Ok, nothing to remove here, and I will leave what ever is eating (I mean spreading) coralline to continue doing whatever they are doing lol

[noirsphynx]

Originally Posted by fresh

Come to think of it, I have many of those! Could they be the culprit? How to get rid of them, and should I?

I hate the little buggers! Once they're in your system good luck getting them all out Some turn in to coral munchers. They're not all destructive but now I don't take any chances. Harlequin shrimp will sometimes eat them.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by noirsphynx

I hate the little buggers! Once they're in your system good luck getting them all out Some turn in to coral munchers. They're not all destructive but now I don't take any chances. Harlequin shrimp will sometimes eat them.

mine love them , i have no more to feed them lol

[fresh]

Originally Posted by noirsphynx

I hate the little buggers! Once they're in your system good luck getting them all out Some turn in to coral munchers. They're not all destructive but now I don't take any chances. Harlequin shrimp will sometimes eat them.

On WetWebMedia, they are listed as good and beneficial as they eat algae and decaying matter, and never advised against them.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by fresh

On WetWebMedia, they are listed as good and beneficial as they eat algae and decaying matter, and never advised against them.

decaying matter as in when something is dying or on its way out the asterina's finish the job.

if a polyp is ripped from fragging the asterina's are on it , same if theyre starting to melt, they go after the easy meals.

i dont keep them, i find them a pest, theres alot better cleaners then stars