Asterinas..I had them, ok fine, no issue. Didn't seem to bother anything that I'd noticed. They reproduced but not out of control and we all lived happily together.
The somewhere along the line in the last 4 or 5 months I got the smaller version of them probably as a hitchhiker..they have a slight blue or green tint to them.
Here's a pic with a dime for comparison
They are my nightmare come true.
For those of you who know what corals I frequently buy (and I do buy!!
)...you'll know how upset I was to discover that these little stars eat Zoanthids..like there is no tomorrow....
I had recently counted the different zoa morphs I'd collected and believe there was either 71 or 91 (forgot...lol)..as of tonight I have 34 left.
At first I thought perhaps my Flame Angel had started picking at my zoos (nope..), then I though I had weak glue..(well...I was reaching for a reason why the zoas would be there when I went to bed and in the morning I'd just have a splotch of glue...)..nope... and then I saw the stars right on top of the zoas..and yes, in the morning that zoa and his local neighbors would be gone.
I had a discussion with Phil (Devious) :hug: and then I was sure it was in fact these stars devouring my zoas.
I can tell you that while I can see these little guys on my rock during the day, the population at night is beyond comprehension. They multiply at an alarming rate. Sooo..I picked up a mated pair of Harlequin shrimp (can only keep these guys in male/female pairs or they kill each other...) a few weeks back at GA to combat these stars and I lend a hand by picking out at least 100 of them a day.
Progress is slow, but I'm getting there!:splitspin
I'm posting this to warn anyone else who has these small bluish/greenish stars in their tanks to beware, I am so dissappointed to lose so many beautiful zoas to them.
Also need to add that I have also seen the regular asterinas (in the pic) on top of my zoas but now don't leave them on there long enough to know if they eat them also. I am removing both (with the help of the Harley) from my tank.
On another note...I might not have minded if they ate palys...but they don't seem to. Every blasted olive drab or brown paly that came in on my LR is still there... figures...lol
The somewhere along the line in the last 4 or 5 months I got the smaller version of them probably as a hitchhiker..they have a slight blue or green tint to them.
Here's a pic with a dime for comparison
They are my nightmare come true.
For those of you who know what corals I frequently buy (and I do buy!!
)...you'll know how upset I was to discover that these little stars eat Zoanthids..like there is no tomorrow....I had recently counted the different zoa morphs I'd collected and believe there was either 71 or 91 (forgot...lol)..as of tonight I have 34 left.
At first I thought perhaps my Flame Angel had started picking at my zoos (nope..), then I though I had weak glue..(well...I was reaching for a reason why the zoas would be there when I went to bed and in the morning I'd just have a splotch of glue...)..nope... and then I saw the stars right on top of the zoas..and yes, in the morning that zoa and his local neighbors would be gone.
I had a discussion with Phil (Devious) :hug: and then I was sure it was in fact these stars devouring my zoas.
I can tell you that while I can see these little guys on my rock during the day, the population at night is beyond comprehension. They multiply at an alarming rate. Sooo..I picked up a mated pair of Harlequin shrimp (can only keep these guys in male/female pairs or they kill each other...) a few weeks back at GA to combat these stars and I lend a hand by picking out at least 100 of them a day.
Progress is slow, but I'm getting there!:splitspin
I'm posting this to warn anyone else who has these small bluish/greenish stars in their tanks to beware, I am so dissappointed to lose so many beautiful zoas to them.
Also need to add that I have also seen the regular asterinas (in the pic) on top of my zoas but now don't leave them on there long enough to know if they eat them also. I am removing both (with the help of the Harley) from my tank.
On another note...I might not have minded if they ate palys...but they don't seem to. Every blasted olive drab or brown paly that came in on my LR is still there... figures...lol
