What is this that ate my coral?

mike54784 · 09/26/2014, 08:16 AM

I've attached a picture of something I found in my tank. I was on my way out to work the other day and found something on a polyp frag coral I had just purchased. I assume it came with the frag because it was the morning after the night I added it to my tank.

I was in a rush to work so didn't really have time to deal with it at that moment. I got home and the polyps were all gone. Something had ate them.

I hadn't seen the thing that was on them again till just now. It is on the side of my tank.

I've attached a picture to this email. I can only see the bottom of the thing through the glass which is what the picture is. It is about the size of a small pea. Is it a baby star fish? Should I get rid of it before it eats my other coral frags?

mike54784 · 09/26/2014, 08:22 AM

I didn't think star fish could climb glass like this though. I'm also watching it, and it's moving as quick as the nassarius snails in my tank

MondoBongo · 09/26/2014, 08:31 AM

looks like an asterina starfish. i doubt it ate your polyps. i have loads of them in my tank, they're harmless.

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....efkeeping-101-

shesacharmer · 09/26/2014, 08:40 AM

There is a variety of Asterina that does eat coral...looks like you were unlucky and got one of the bad ones. Just remove them when you see them...otherwise they reproduce readily.

mike54784 · 09/26/2014, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MondoBongo

looks like an asterina starfish. i doubt it ate your polyps. i have loads of them in my tank, they're harmless.

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....efkeeping-101-

Thank you MondoBongo! I think you are correct. I was able to get a look at the top of it just now and the top looks the same as in the pictures.

I don't know what happened to the coral frag, but I just saw this thing on top of it, came home, and all my polyps were gone.

I guess if they get out of control population wise I will get a few Harlequins!

MondoBongo · 09/26/2014, 08:49 AM

a lot of times these little guys get a bad rap because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. they tend to go after things in the tank that are damaged, or growing algae, and when they're moving around they don't really discriminate between coral and rock. they just crawl on whatever.

when i used to keep Z's and P's i would occasionally see them sitting on the polyp head as they went about their travels, but they would always move off, leaving the coral unaffected.

what else do you have in your tank? have you noticed any large worms (eunicid not bristle) or anyone suspicious at night?

mike54784 · 09/26/2014, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MondoBongo

a lot of times these little guys get a bad rap because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. they tend to go after things in the tank that are damaged, or growing algae, and when they're moving around they don't really discriminate between coral and rock. they just crawl on whatever.

when i used to keep Z's and P's i would occasionally see them sitting on the polyp head as they went about their travels, but they would always move off, leaving the coral unaffected.

what else do you have in your tank? have you noticed any large worms (eunicid not bristle) or anyone suspicious at night?

I just started my tank again a few months ago. I started with two bags of live sand. My old live rock (dead when I added it), I started with just coral frags and inverts (no fish).

I haven't noticed any worms or anything unusual aside from the asterina starfish.

Almost half of the frags that I ordered from Reefs2go were seriously damaged or dead when I got them, smh. This was one of the few that actually looked like it was doing good. It opened right up, then next morning half of the polyps were gone, and the starfish was on the half of the frag with missing polyps. I got home and all the polyps were gone, and so was the starfish. It's been three weeks now and no new polyps, so I just took the frag plug out of the tank with the other dead ones that never opened from the beginning.

mike54784 · 09/26/2014, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shesacharmer

There is a variety of Asterina that does eat coral...looks like you were unlucky and got one of the bad ones. Just remove them when you see them...otherwise they reproduce readily.

Shesacharmer, so there are species of this starfish that eat coral?

mike54784 · 09/26/2014, 09:35 AM

After doing a little more reading into this, I see that there are too many varying opinions on this.

Some people say that certain species do eat coral, others say that they are only eating the decaying mater already dying coral.

Don't know what to believe, but when I hear some people say that some species do and others don't, I'm thinking if one species does, and one doesn't, they aren't both asterina.

By that I mean, if it is a different species, it can't have the same name (asterina). Maybe there are several different species that look similar, one of which is called asterina, the others not being asterina. Who's to say what I have? Or maybe the other assessments were right in that they just eat decaying material and get a bad rap as a result?

marinemanohio · 09/26/2014, 09:42 AM

It seems they eat coralline. Not sure I buy into them eating coral by my experiences with them. I don't even view them as a pest in any way, and I have my share of them.

If you want them gone, get a harlequin shrimp. They are cool, and once they get a taste for these stars, they are done like dinner - literally.

mike54784 · 09/26/2014, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marinemanohio

It seems they eat coralline. Not sure I buy into them eating coral by my experiences with them. I don't even view them as a pest in any way, and I have my share of them.

If you want them gone, get a harlequin shrimp. They are cool, and once they get a taste for these stars, they are done like dinner - literally.

Thanks marinemanohio!

MondoBongo · 09/26/2014, 10:53 AM

Asterina is actually a genus, encompassing many species:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterina_%28starfish%29

shesacharmer · 09/26/2014, 11:16 AM

This guy seems to believe they do: http://youtu.be/LAJakjxYRbk?list=UU3...MDKBzMFwfH7yJQ

When I was having trouble with polyps not opening I found a worm living amongst them but it didn't seem to eat them, it just prevented them from opening.

Shaummy · 09/26/2014, 11:25 AM

So here is a crazy thought... I'm not sure what kind of "polyp" frag you had..but I have see a small mat of zoas detach from a rock and be found someplace else in my tank.

Are you sure they have been eaten by something?

Teenreefer15 · 09/26/2014, 03:57 PM

I one of these guys in my new tank too. Thankfully i have no corals. I know that asternias could eat some corals so i just removed it. Just pick it out with your fingers.

Timfish · 09/26/2014, 04:27 PM

Having seen all the polyps of a frag dissappear in a few hours in a tank that doesn't have asterinas I'm douptfull. We like to have explanaitons for what happens in our tanks but commonality does not equate to causality. I would have kept the asterina.

cloak · 09/26/2014, 04:38 PM

I would get rid of it... When somebody can give me a DEFINITIVE answer as to which ones are safe and which ones are not, they're all suspect IMO.

mike54784 · 09/26/2014, 07:21 PM

Thanks everyone. It was a Purple Glove Polyps (Clavularia sp.) frag. I have also seen some of my zoas and palys break off like that, but that wasn't the case with this frag.

I would like to take your advice nbryon74, but I can't see the thing anymore.

If see any more corals dying off, in goes a harlequin or two.

What's worse now is that I realized one of my two six lines wrassles that I just added yesterday is missing. Found him shredded in the powerhead.... Why did I decided to get back into this hobby, smh

Khemul · 09/27/2014, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike54784

Some people say that certain species do eat coral, others say that they are only eating the decaying mater already dying coral.

The tricky thing with starfish is that with the way they eat, those two things are not necessarily different concepts. Whether the target is the coral is impossible to know. But if the stomach is strong enough to digest it, the coral becomes decaying matter either way. Even if it isn't eaten.

mike54784 · 09/27/2014, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khemul

The tricky thing with starfish is that with the way they eat, those two things are not necessarily different concepts. Whether the target is the coral is impossible to know. But if the stomach is strong enough to digest it, the coral becomes decaying matter either way. Even if it isn't eaten.

Khemul, that definitely makes sense. I haven't seen any other corals missing, so I think I'm okay, but definitely keeping an eye out

Bielaz · 11/14/2014, 05:41 PM

Thats a starfish. I would get that coral outta there into a frag tank and pick out the stars by hand. If you have a wrasse even better. But thise little suckers have obliterated many setups.

Sk8r · 11/14/2014, 06:07 PM

COuld something that small EAT a whole polyp in a day? The scale involved is strange.

09/26/2014, 08:31 AM	#3
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	looks like an asterina starfish. i doubt it ate your polyps. i have loads of them in my tank, they're harmless. http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....efkeeping-101- __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

09/26/2014, 08:40 AM	#4
shesacharmer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central NH Posts: 1,241	There is a variety of Asterina that does eat coral...looks like you were unlucky and got one of the bad ones. Just remove them when you see them...otherwise they reproduce readily. __________________ 75 gal, LR w/refugium, 79 deg, PH 8.0, sg 1.025, amm 0/nit 0/nit 0, Calcium 420, dKH 8.3, mag 1300, Phos 0 Current Tank Info: A work in progress...

09/26/2014, 08:49 AM	#6
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	a lot of times these little guys get a bad rap because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. they tend to go after things in the tank that are damaged, or growing algae, and when they're moving around they don't really discriminate between coral and rock. they just crawl on whatever. when i used to keep Z's and P's i would occasionally see them sitting on the polyp head as they went about their travels, but they would always move off, leaving the coral unaffected. what else do you have in your tank? have you noticed any large worms (eunicid not bristle) or anyone suspicious at night? __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

09/26/2014, 10:53 AM	#12
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	Asterina is actually a genus, encompassing many species: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterina_%28starfish%29 __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

09/26/2014, 11:16 AM	#13
shesacharmer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central NH Posts: 1,241	This guy seems to believe they do: http://youtu.be/LAJakjxYRbk?list=UU3...MDKBzMFwfH7yJQ When I was having trouble with polyps not opening I found a worm living amongst them but it didn't seem to eat them, it just prevented them from opening. __________________ 75 gal, LR w/refugium, 79 deg, PH 8.0, sg 1.025, amm 0/nit 0/nit 0, Calcium 420, dKH 8.3, mag 1300, Phos 0 Current Tank Info: A work in progress...

09/26/2014, 08:22 AM	#2
mike54784 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 62	I didn't think star fish could climb glass like this though. I'm also watching it, and it's moving as quick as the nassarius snails in my tank

09/26/2014, 09:35 AM	#9
mike54784 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 62	After doing a little more reading into this, I see that there are too many varying opinions on this. Some people say that certain species do eat coral, others say that they are only eating the decaying mater already dying coral. Don't know what to believe, but when I hear some people say that some species do and others don't, I'm thinking if one species does, and one doesn't, they aren't both asterina. By that I mean, if it is a different species, it can't have the same name (asterina). Maybe there are several different species that look similar, one of which is called asterina, the others not being asterina. Who's to say what I have? Or maybe the other assessments were right in that they just eat decaying material and get a bad rap as a result?

09/26/2014, 09:42 AM	#10
marinemanohio Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 45	It seems they eat coralline. Not sure I buy into them eating coral by my experiences with them. I don't even view them as a pest in any way, and I have my share of them. If you want them gone, get a harlequin shrimp. They are cool, and once they get a taste for these stars, they are done like dinner - literally.

09/26/2014, 11:25 AM	#14
Shaummy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Chicago burbs Posts: 857	So here is a crazy thought... I'm not sure what kind of "polyp" frag you had..but I have see a small mat of zoas detach from a rock and be found someplace else in my tank. Are you sure they have been eaten by something? __________________ Shaummy Current Tank Info: Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef, hermits, snails,Lyretail Anthias,Orange back Fairy Wrasse,Blue Reef Chromis,small blue tang, Flame Hawk, Royal Gramma

09/26/2014, 03:57 PM	#15
Teenreefer15 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: New Jersey Posts: 479	I one of these guys in my new tank too. Thankfully i have no corals. I know that asternias could eat some corals so i just removed it. Just pick it out with your fingers.

09/26/2014, 04:27 PM	#16
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	Having seen all the polyps of a frag dissappear in a few hours in a tank that doesn't have asterinas I'm douptfull. We like to have explanaitons for what happens in our tanks but commonality does not equate to causality. I would have kept the asterina. __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek

09/26/2014, 04:38 PM	#17
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I would get rid of it... When somebody can give me a DEFINITIVE answer as to which ones are safe and which ones are not, they're all suspect IMO.

09/26/2014, 07:21 PM	#18
mike54784 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 62	Thanks everyone. It was a Purple Glove Polyps (Clavularia sp.) frag. I have also seen some of my zoas and palys break off like that, but that wasn't the case with this frag. I would like to take your advice nbryon74, but I can't see the thing anymore. If see any more corals dying off, in goes a harlequin or two. What's worse now is that I realized one of my two six lines wrassles that I just added yesterday is missing. Found him shredded in the powerhead.... Why did I decided to get back into this hobby, smh

11/14/2014, 05:41 PM	#21
Bielaz Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: NE Pacific Posts: 29	Thats a starfish. I would get that coral outta there into a frag tank and pick out the stars by hand. If you have a wrasse even better. But thise little suckers have obliterated many setups.

11/14/2014, 06:07 PM	#22
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	COuld something that small EAT a whole polyp in a day? The scale involved is strange. __________________ 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%.