asterina starfish killed my trumpet coral..is this normal?

FeTTo · 01/16/2013, 08:20 AM

Last night I was looking at my tank and everything seemed fine. Lately ive gotten these asterina starfish that hitchhiked in on a frag, and have multiplied to hundreds, in a 20 gal high tank. Last night, my trumpets were looking awesome, I went out to play hockey, came home around midnight, to discover that 1 of my 3 heads was "missing" . So i went right up to the tank to see what happened, and one of these star fish were completely over the top of my trumpet coral, wrapped around it, pulsing. I reached in with my poking stick and knocked him off, but noticed, that he completely sucked out and killed the head of my trumpet coral.

Is this normal? All of my googling, everyine says they are fine and dont do much. Is it time for me to get a harliquin shrimp to cut these asterina starfish populations down in my tank?

stiki21 · 01/16/2013, 12:02 PM

Some have been known to eat corals, usually zoas. Since you have a large outbreak of them and saw one eating your trumpet, I wouldn't hesitate to put a harlequin in there.

don_chuwish · 01/16/2013, 01:16 PM

"Harlequin" the hired assassin! I like it. Asterinas all over in my tank, never noticed them hurting anything really.

- D

01/16/2013, 08:20 AM	#1
FeTTo Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 41	asterina starfish killed my trumpet coral..is this normal? Last night I was looking at my tank and everything seemed fine. Lately ive gotten these asterina starfish that hitchhiked in on a frag, and have multiplied to hundreds, in a 20 gal high tank. Last night, my trumpets were looking awesome, I went out to play hockey, came home around midnight, to discover that 1 of my 3 heads was "missing" . So i went right up to the tank to see what happened, and one of these star fish were completely over the top of my trumpet coral, wrapped around it, pulsing. I reached in with my poking stick and knocked him off, but noticed, that he completely sucked out and killed the head of my trumpet coral. Is this normal? All of my googling, everyine says they are fine and dont do much. Is it time for me to get a harliquin shrimp to cut these asterina starfish populations down in my tank?

01/16/2013, 12:02 PM	#2
stiki21 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 54	Some have been known to eat corals, usually zoas. Since you have a large outbreak of them and saw one eating your trumpet, I wouldn't hesitate to put a harlequin in there.

01/16/2013, 01:16 PM	#3
don_chuwish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 345	"Harlequin" the hired assassin! I like it. Asterinas all over in my tank, never noticed them hurting anything really. - D