Zoa eating astrina?

[exnisstech]

I added some zoas to one of my tanks a while back and today I noticed one plug of them not opening up. I found this little star on the side of them. I've read of astrina killing zoas and wonder if this looks like one that is know for that? I've always had asterinas but haven't kept zoas so I pretty much ignored them before.

 

[LordClownFish]

I added some zoas to one of my tanks a while back and today I noticed one plug of them not opening up. I found this little star on the side of them. I've read of astrina killing zoas and wonder if this looks like one that is know for that? I've always had asterinas but haven't kept zoas so I pretty much ignored them before.

Read that wrong lol good luck man

 

[exnisstech]

Read that wrong lol good luck man

Ya probably not the best title lol.

 

[VintageReefer]

There are at least 14 species of asterina and in our hobby we get a mix of many of them randomly

I’ve been doing this 22+ years and never paid attention to asterina as I’ve always had them. What I didn’t know, is I have always had a mix. Assumed they were all the same. They are not all the same

People that swear they don’t eat zoa, simply have not had ones that do eat zoa, and don’t understand there are ones that do. It’s much more common to have the safe ones, but the zoa eating ones are a risk to get and it happened to me

My zoa were disappearing. Someone told me to check for “red back asterina”. Sure enough, I had asterina on that zoa colony and they had red on the back. I checked others on my tank and most did not have red.

Are there red back ones that don’t eat zoa - i have no idea. I can at least say some of the red back ones will eat them

 

[exnisstech]

There are at least 14 species of asterina and in our hobby we get a mix of many of them randomly

I’ve been doing this 22+ years and never paid attention to asterina as I’ve always had them. What I didn’t know, is I have always had a mix. Assumed they were all the same. They are not all the same

People that swear they don’t eat zoa, simply have not had ones that do eat zoa, and don’t understand there are ones that do. It’s much more common to have the safe ones, but the zoa eating ones are a risk to get and it happened to me

I think I read that thread. I probably wouldn't have noticed but I added 9 frags and noticed just the one not opening and saw the star on it. Might be time for a harlequin shrimp. And I can rotate it out between the tanks.

 

[VintageReefer]

I think I read that thread. I probably wouldn't have noticed but I added 9 frags and noticed just the one not opening and saw the star on it. Might be time for a harlequin shrimp. And I can rotate it out between the tanks.

Yours does have red markings

 

[LARedstickreefer]

There are at least 14 species of asterina and in our hobby we get a mix of many of them randomly

I’ve been doing this 22+ years and never paid attention to asterina as I’ve always had them. What I didn’t know, is I have always had a mix. Assumed they were all the same. They are not all the same

People that swear they don’t eat zoa, simply have not had ones that do eat zoa, and don’t understand there are ones that do. It’s much more common to have the safe ones, but the zoa eating ones are a risk to get and it happened to me

My zoa were disappearing. Someone told me to check for “red back asterina”. Sure enough, I had asterina on that zoa colony and they had red on the back. I checked others on my tank and most did not have red.

Are there red back ones that don’t eat zoa - i have no idea. I can at least say some of the red back ones will eat them

I had the Grey/blue backed ones eating mine.

Lost 5 great owl zoas before I caught on. Down to one survivor and mad as you know what.

Now I’m actively removing any of them that I catch crawling around the bottom instead of up the back glass where the actual food for them is. I’m thinking I’ll just remove every last one and send them to my sump.

 

[ChiCity]

I had the Grey/blue backed ones eating mine.
I’m thinking I’ll just remove every last one and send them to my sump.

you’ll never eradicate them if you do this and they’ll end up right back in your main display

 

[LARedstickreefer]

you’ll never eradicate them if you do this and they’ll end up right back in your main display

Hand removal or letting them live in sump?

 

[exnisstech]

I’m thinking I’ll just remove every last one and send them to my sump.

Mine go in the trash. I have no idea how they even get in the DT so I'm not sure sump banishment will keep them out.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Mine go in the trash. I have no idea how they even get in the DT so I'm not sure sump banishment will keep them out.

Just takes a piece of one leg, some biofilm, and time…

I feel conflicted about just trashing them. I know they all aren’t killers else I’d have zero zoas left. I just don’t know how/when they’ll turn from film algae to $100 zoas. If they can truly stay confined to my sump, that’s a win for me.

 

[JayM]

I had exactly one for about 3-4 months and all was fine with the zoas - until it wasn't.

 

[ChiCity]

Hand removal or letting them live in sump?

putting them in the sump…

it’s counterproductive to put em in your sump if your end goal is full eradication from display.
they’ll end up right back in it!

just toss em when you manually pull em…
if you’re conflicted, then just get a harlequin.
(and keep a choc chip star in the sump to feed harle when asterninas run out)

 

[mdpitts]

Funny this thread popped up because I have a ton in my tank for the past year with no problems and just yesterday saw one eating a baby Zoa from a sad little colony that I’ve been nursing along that was finally starting to spread. I’m so mad at myself that I didn’t flush it. I plucked it off and flung it somewhere in the tank. I’m keeping an eye open for that creep.

 

[fishguy242]

100% red backs will eat certain types of zoas

 

[littlebigreef]

Its a good excuse to get a harlequin shrimp, kill them all and be done with 'em.