Too many starfish?

[SAKTEK]

I was looking at my jbj 28g nano tank, and I noticed it is infested with 3 & 5 legged starfish. They range from about a 1/4" to 2". I know they're good to have, but if there's too many can they contribute to high nitrates? Or any other problems?


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[BeanMachine]

Asterina Stars... some say they'll eat zoas... I don't believe it although they do seem to go for stuff that is dying probably more for the film algae than anything else. They are a bit annoying though and can infest a tank if given the right conditions. So yeah you can have too many its sort of un sightly.

 

[Reefomeez]

Do you have pics? Are they asterinas?

If asterinas I think they eat coraline which people don't like. I tend to like them because they're free clean up crew. If you don't like them and you like shrimp you can get harlequin shrimps which look cool and eat stars like mad.

 

[pgr11]

Asterina Stars... some say they'll eat zoas... I don't believe it although they do seem to go for stuff that is dying probably more for the film algae than anything else. They are a bit annoying though and can infest a tank if given the right conditions. So yeah you can have too many its sort of un sightly.

Believe it. I watched them eat some expensive and very healthy zoas. I had a crap ton of them. Couple harlequin cured the problem

 

[SAKTEK]

They are not asterinas. Here you can see all their legs sticking out from inside the rocks.

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[SAKTEK]

hope this one looks better


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[BeanMachine]

yeah not seeing anything in that awesome pick. BUT you may be talking about mini brittle stars? Really thin legs?

So Chris the zoas were open and healthy / alive and the stars made them close and they ate them... hmmm.

 

[jesuses]

I've always had Asterinas and never thought they were bad. They recently started to reproduce like crazy so I've been keeping a close eye on my zoas. Last night I tried to turkey bast one off a polyp and it was on pretty good. This morning I saw a small circle missing from the stalk. I'm kinda paranoid now and thinking of getting harlequis

 

[SAKTEK]

yeah not seeing anything in that awesome pick. BUT you may be talking about mini brittle stars? Really thin legs?

So Chris the zoas were open and healthy / alive and the stars made them close and they ate them... hmmm.

Lmao... Yes brittle starfish. Is too many a problem?


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[SAKTEK]

Ever since I updated the tapatalk app it seems pics are blurry now. Way too many options


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[BeanMachine]

They are great to have just little scavengers. No worries with the corals.

 

[SAKTEK]

Cool. Thanks Bean


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[pgr11]

Yeah bean they would attach to the stalk first and piss of the zoa. Then when it was closed another would attach to the top and that's all she wrote.