Asternia stars. now with solutions, and stray voltage

Nano · #1 01-11-2012, 07:12 PM

Yeah this is the first time I ever saw this little guy. I was going around with a flashlight in the tank last night and boom! micro turbos and asternias! Naturally I was up for like 2 hours looking for info on them all lol. I sure hope this isnt the coral munching kind

Madreefer · #2 01-11-2012, 07:37 PM

IMO they're all bad. Here's a little read for ya.

http://www.garf.org/STAR/starfish.html

Nano · #3 01-11-2012, 07:41 PM

Yeah I have read this one haha. not sure what to do with this one I have him in a cup, will most likely garbage it, but when I do my tank upgrade (37 gallons) is there anything that will keep these little guys under control? I have heard harlequin shrimp will but have to be trained or coaxed to eat them

Madreefer · #4 01-11-2012, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nanomano

I have heard harlequin shrimp will but have to be trained or coaxed to eat them

Sorry but that statement makes me laugh.

I see it quite often in regards to people training their fish to eat a certain thing. ie; mandarines and CBB. Seriously people? If something is hungry enough and a certain food is there for the taking than if everything is all good they should eat it. But i'm no fish whisperer or trainer.

But I had alot of asterina stars before and IME with my last harlequin they mysteriously went down in quantity when I added him.

Nano · #5 01-11-2012, 08:26 PM

Haha yeah I suppose so. Is there anything aside from shrimp to take care of them? I have bad luck with shrimp, I have a minute amout of stray voltage in my tank that I can't pinpoint the source no matter what I do. I actually think it my apartments electrical. So any shrimp usually dies in a few weeks. which is a bummer cause they have character!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madreefer

Sorry but that statement makes me laugh.

I see it quite often in regards to people training their fish to eat a certain thing. ie; mandarines and CBB. Seriously people? If something is hungry enough and a certain food is there for the taking than if everything is all good they should eat it. But i'm no fish whisperer or trainer.

But I had alot of asterina stars before and IME with my last harlequin they mysteriously went down in quantity when I added him.

gregzz4 · #6 01-11-2012, 09:49 PM

How have you been testing for voltage ?
Shouldn't be that hard to nail down

Nano · #7 01-11-2012, 09:51 PM

its an old voltmeter from the 90's

I unplugged everything from my powerbar, one piece at a time, nothing. then I unplugged the power bar, then the reading went back to 0, so I bought a brand new $30 power bar with surge protection and all the bells.. I got a reading again.. wtf? is it possible its the ground in our apartment?

paddyob · #8 01-11-2012, 10:38 PM

Search the forum.

It has come up SEVERAL times in the past 6 months.

If you like them, and think they are ok, I won't argue.

Speaking to anyone who thinks they are harmless.... not necessarily the OP... but anyone....

If you end up like me, and have plague proportions of them.. several thousand in a 70G.. and you WATCH them kill your zoanthind colonies, you would wish that you thought differently.

I lost about 20 zoa colonies this past while.... all fancy... several hundred bucks worth of them.

I am ****ed. ****ED I never removed them while I had the chance.

But go ahead... leave them in if you choose. Just consider this.... is it better to have them, or use caution and ditch them? I have conceded to having a tank full of stars.... and no zoas. Its too late for me.

Good luck.