asternia (sea Stars)

[jwill275]

I know conventional wisdom says that these sea stars are for the most part harmless. However I can with virtually 100% certainty state they are consuming my corraline algae at a rate that is faster than it is produced. I initialy left them alone thinking there was another reason my rock turning white. My lights are relatively new, 72" Nova Extreme Pro is about 5 months old, the lights are on 8 hours white - 10 hours blue. My water is as follows:
ph - 8.2
salt 1.025
temp 78-79
calcium 380-420
alk - 8-9 dkh
amonia 0
nitrite/trate 0

I use a phosban reactor and amiracle protien skimmer, my sump has macroalgae. I removed my bio-balls three months ago. There are five fish - Yellow tang / hippo tang / flame hawkfish/tomato clown/ splendid dottyback. I have a ton of Zenia (thanks to a frag from James) a couple of Kenya Tree, a Frogspawn, trumpet coral, hammerhead coral and a feather duster. I have plating montipora and some acropora that is doing very well. I only have a three-four hermit crabs and a couple of snails.

I've spent the last three weeks pulling the sea stars out of my tank, I'm sure it's atleast 300! I'm beginnig to see some color coming back to my rock. I'm not certain I can win the war but it appears I may have won a battle! So if anyone tells me there harmless - I beg to differ!

john

[Muscle Reefer]

they are harmless LOL

[Muscle Reefer]

BTW why dont you get her shrimps to eat those suckers? Do you have any other star fish in the tank?

[jwill275]

I'd have to remove the flame hawkfish and most likely the dottyback before I could put a harlequin shrimp in the tank and I'm not certain how long it would take for the shrimp to bring the population under control.

[Spracklcat]

I'd blame the hermits before the Asterina--also, they tend to reproduce when there is abundant food, so it could be a water quality issue that is causing the Asterinas to grow and the corals to shrink

[nate82]

if yo ucan get the fish out the asternia will be gone in a week two at the most