Is this a good starfish or bad

M88A2 · 01/12/2010, 12:47 AM

is this starfish good or bad?

top side

bottom

acrodave · 01/12/2010, 12:58 AM

its 50/50 some eat algae and some eat corals and its hard to tell the difference they look the same.. for me i dont like them even the good one breed to much and you end up with hundreds of them

M88A2 · 01/12/2010, 01:06 AM

man if theres even a chance it will eat corals its a no go...sorry little dude

zachfishman · 01/12/2010, 08:54 AM

Some people say they'll eat corals, but I've had hundreds in my reef for years and years and have never noticed anything.

Ohiomom · 01/12/2010, 09:40 AM

I have never had an issue with them eating any corals and I have at least 10 different types of corals. Never have seen on my corals..glass and rocks yes but never bothering a coral and I have at least 20+.

spleify · 01/12/2010, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zachfishman

Some people say they'll eat corals, but I've had hundreds in my reef for years and years and have never noticed anything.

+1 the only thing they have eaten in my tanks is the coraline algae.

For the most part, they are pretty harmless

golby · 01/12/2010, 10:11 AM

For the record, I think that it is called an Asterina Starfish. That should direct your research a bit. I have many and they don't appear to do much except allow me to periodically exclaim "hey a starfish and I didn't have to buy it!"

Sk8r · 01/12/2010, 10:59 AM

asterina: harmless. I've had them with sps and lps and never had a problem. They eat coralline, but not so fast that coralline doesn't regrow behind them. You'll notice a track on a rock where they've been, but it will regrow within the week.

lordofthereef · 01/12/2010, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

asterina: harmless.

+1

IMO people saying they eat corals are wrong. They probably have some other type of star that they are confusing this one, or they are blaming coral death/consumption on the star based on its placement and there is actually something else doing the predation. Just about the only bad thing I have experiences is if they do "crawl" onto a coral it tends to upset the coral a bit.

acrodave · 01/12/2010, 12:49 PM

the coral eating info came from julian sprungs invert book

thegrun · 01/12/2010, 01:18 PM

PS: it's just wrong to show a starfish from the "bottom"

cubsFAN · 01/12/2010, 01:21 PM

+asterina, harmless. 8 years no probs.

01/12/2010, 12:47 AM	#1
M88A2 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 682	Is this a good starfish or bad is this starfish good or bad? top side bottom

01/12/2010, 12:58 AM	#2
acrodave REEF NERD Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: maryville tn-- work in knoxville Posts: 4,187	its 50/50 some eat algae and some eat corals and its hard to tell the difference they look the same.. for me i dont like them even the good one breed to much and you end up with hundreds of them __________________ Peace,Dave Superman puts on Tim Tebow pajamas when he goes to bed The Heisman as a sophomore nuff said Less technology more biology Tattoos are the only art you can take to the grave Current Tank Info: 26gal bow,20gal mantis tank/fuge150wHQI,20k AB Seio 620 maxijet1200x's 2 on a wave maker. all sps

01/12/2010, 08:54 AM	#4
zachfishman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: St Petersburg, FL Posts: 3,577	Some people say they'll eat corals, but I've had hundreds in my reef for years and years and have never noticed anything. __________________ Patience is a reefer's best tool. Secret Xenia lover. M.S. Marine Biology Staff - Marine Discovery Center, St. Petersburg FL Tampa Bay Reef Club BOD 2018 Current Tank Info: 34g modded Solana

01/12/2010, 09:40 AM	#5
Ohiomom Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,586	I have never had an issue with them eating any corals and I have at least 10 different types of corals. Never have seen on my corals..glass and rocks yes but never bothering a coral and I have at least 20+. __________________ .....Sandra “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Current Tank Info: 75 galllon reef, T5HO love em!

01/12/2010, 10:11 AM	#7
golby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bethesda, MD Posts: 242	For the record, I think that it is called an Asterina Starfish. That should direct your research a bit. I have many and they don't appear to do much except allow me to periodically exclaim "hey a starfish and I didn't have to buy it!" __________________ Unless I explicitly state otherwise, assume that I have tested my parameters recently and they are: Temp: 80F Salt: 1.023-1.024 pH: 8.2 Amm: 0 'trite: 0 'trate: 0 Phosphate: 0 Copper: 0 Calcium: 360-420 dkH: 9 Current Tank Info: 90g internal overflow; 30g sump; ~325 Watts 6500K CFL bulbs; 100 lbs LR; mixed reef with LPS (frogspawn, torch, trumpet and bubble) and softies (leathers, mushrooms and lots of zoas)

01/12/2010, 01:06 AM	#3
M88A2 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 682	man if theres even a chance it will eat corals its a no go...sorry little dude

01/12/2010, 10:59 AM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	asterina: harmless. I've had them with sps and lps and never had a problem. They eat coralline, but not so fast that coralline doesn't regrow behind them. You'll notice a track on a rock where they've been, but it will regrow within the week. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/12/2010, 12:49 PM	#10
acrodave REEF NERD Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: maryville tn-- work in knoxville Posts: 4,187	the coral eating info came from julian sprungs invert book __________________ Peace,Dave Superman puts on Tim Tebow pajamas when he goes to bed The Heisman as a sophomore nuff said Less technology more biology Tattoos are the only art you can take to the grave Current Tank Info: 26gal bow,20gal mantis tank/fuge150wHQI,20k AB Seio 620 maxijet1200x's 2 on a wave maker. all sps

01/12/2010, 01:18 PM	#11
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	PS: it's just wrong to show a starfish from the "bottom"

01/12/2010, 01:21 PM	#12
cubsFAN Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Lake Tahoe Posts: 1,550	+asterina, harmless. 8 years no probs.