I've had quite a few of these in my tank & not sure where they came from. As far as I know they came in with some of my original lr. Today I noticed that one was on a leg of my sand sifting star. While doing a water change I decide to just scoot him off of the bigger starfish and dicovered that it was actually eating it! There is now a good size chunk missing out of the leg of the sandsifter. As long as they have both been in the tank, I've never noticed this & actually don't think that it has happened before, has anyone else experinced this? Also, what can I do for the sandsifter now? Any help would be appriciated!
Asterina Stars Bad?
- Thread starter Jennie
- Start date
Sugar Magnolia
New Member
I've never heard of them eating stars although it's been proprted that they will eat sps and some soft corals. Mine never have though.
You ought to QT the star until it's had time to heal.
You ought to QT the star until it's had time to heal.
I've pulled all that I could catch (5), and keeping a watch out for the others ( I know there are more). The star is alive, but not moving around as much as he normally does. We can still see the white tissue in one of his legs. I'm just hoping for the best about now.
They have both been in the tank from the getgo, and I've never noticed it either. I'm positive that is what happened because the shifter was on the back glass the day before and all his legs were just fine, then the next day all of this happened. As to the little stars, I've never had them on my corals, just on the glass and rocks.
They have both been in the tank from the getgo, and I've never noticed it either. I'm positive that is what happened because the shifter was on the back glass the day before and all his legs were just fine, then the next day all of this happened. As to the little stars, I've never had them on my corals, just on the glass and rocks.
I've never heard of asterina stars eating anything other than detritus and/or algae. It may be that you're sand sifter is simply on it's way out and the asterina is eating the tissue as it's disolving. A sand sifter in a 10g or a 20g, is unlikely to have enough to eat, unless you've got a particularly deep sand bed, and/or are feeding the sandbed directly, so that there's more disolved detritus for it to forage.
I don't think that your asterina is a causitive factor in your sandsifter's possible declining health.
B
I don't think that your asterina is a causitive factor in your sandsifter's possible declining health.
B