Need some help

[jeep9783]

I have a few SPS (porcilapora's) that the pollips on the base of the colonies are disapearing...Fish are Large Mystery Wrasse, Bangji Cardinal, False Percula, Psudochromis, Regal Tang and maybe a few others...

What I have noticed are these little eracer sized starfish all of a sudden takeing over....Have nvr noticed them until about 1 month ago now at any given time well over 30+ are on the glass alone...Where the pollips are missing and turning white I notice these starfish

Can anyone post me some pic's or some advise as to if these guys are the root of the problem and how to rid myself of them

Param's all in good order and tank has been up for over 2 yrs now

Ty Chris

 

[ralph atl]

Please post you parems, however, starfish, I might add a pair of

 

[budsreef]

You've been at it long enough to know how to maintain good water so I doubt that is an issue. I've read that there are some types of these starfish that may eat zoas but I think the predominate opinion is that they only eat tissue that is already dying. Maybe just having so many crawling around everything could be an issue so if possible I'd start removing them just to be on the safe side. Start manually removing them until you get a better idea.

 

[jeep9783]

Cant get the shrimp as i have Sand Sifting starfish...Just worried...at what point does the under side start to be shadowed enough to cause pollips to die back...it is the size of say bit larger than softball

 

[ralph atl]

get rid of the sand sifter. get the shrimp. or you must manually remove them if that's what it looks like.

 

[acroholic]

The asterinas don't eat healthy SPS tissue. What you are seeing is the scavenging after the flesh has died. As was said, there is anecdotal evidence that asterinas will eat zoas, particularly the blue asterinas. I haven't seen it, but several ARC Members that I have great respect for would have stated they have seen them doing it in their own tanks.

Harlequins help a lot. I have one in my 300 and 150 gallon reefs. They keep the asterina population under control. They seem to have reached a balance between the asterinas reproducing and the Harleys eating them. Plus they are really cool to have in your tank.

 

[ralph atl]

So..........just take some time, and post all your parems including phates, trates, Alk, etc! Worst case, you'll at least be looking at something that you might haven't measured in a minute.

 

[jeep9783]

my param's are fine...all sps are fine except my 2 porcilapora's (pardon the spelling) and its only the underside of them that is starting to go white...no pollips there...everything else is fine...purple plasma, 3 diff plate monti's, tri color valida, birdsnest etc etc...just curiours as to wht is up with porcilapora...only reson i beleave its the stars is bc i had a sudden outbreak in the mini stars and i have seen them on the white part of the said sps

 

[grouper therapy]

jeep9783;520056 wrote: my param's are fine...all sps are fine except my 2 porcilapora's (pardon the spelling) and its only the underside of them that is starting to go white...no pollips there...everything else is fine...purple plasma, 3 diff plate monti's, tri color valida, birdsnest etc etc...just curiours as to wht is up with porcilapora...only reson i beleave its the stars is bc i had a sudden outbreak in the mini stars and i have seen them on the white part of the said sps

My Pocillopora do it as well I think it might be the same as some birds nest, as they grow they shade the lower part out and it simply bleaches.My guess is the starfish are scavenging

 

[jeep9783]

Well how much of a set back would i suffer as far as dirty sand if i get rid of my sandsifting star fish for a Harloquin ? its 75rr with 20gal frag and 30gal sump with like 120ish lbs lr prob 50-60lbs of ls...All corlas are SPS Acans and Clams....I dont really know how much my starfish helps but he is about 4 inches...I am running an ELOS NS1000 skimmer

Just dont wna hurt my tank as far as removing the starfish just to get a Harloquin

 

[llewella]

A sudden break out of the stars could mean that there are too many nutrients in the tank. Are you feeding more lately? Maybe add some carbon or skim more. I'm just thinking that the sudden outbreak of so many stars could mean there is something else going on that maybe the coral doesn't like.

 

[llewella]

jeep9783;520144 wrote: Well how much of a set back would i suffer as far as dirty sand if i get rid of my sandsifting star fish for a Harloquin ? its 75rr with 20gal frag and 30gal sump with like 120ish lbs lr prob 50-60lbs of ls...All corlas are SPS Acans and Clams....I dont really know how much my starfish helps but he is about 4 inches...I am running an ELOS NS1000 skimmer

Just dont wna hurt my tank as far as removing the starfish just to get a Harloquin

I don't think it's going to hurt your tank to not have the SS starfish. I dont have one and I know many people that dont. As long as you have a good clean up crew otherwise I doubt you'll notice a difference. Plus there are other things that can sift your sand that you could replace him with such as a dragon goby, nass snails, tigertail cucumber, etc..

 

[jeep9783]

well i am running x2 mp40's so there is a fine line between sand storm and no sand storm so the goby would be out of the question...but i beleave i could try a cucumber...auctually i have been feeding less bc of aptasia i am tryin to get under control now for the past 6months...tryed the pepermint shrimp lol...Mystery Wrasse has gotten really large the past few months...wonder from wht lol...5 pepermint shrimp gone due to mystery wrasse although he wont bother my cleaner shrimp...IDK i am lost at this point maybe could just wrap it up to coral colonie is just getting to big...idk....anyone around my area more than welcome to stop by and have a look see as my pic taking abilities are far from great