• Starfish are predators?!?

  • Emma

Hello. There is a favorite little coral in the aquarium - the very first one that appeared, grown with my own eyes, unidentified and unknown no matter how much we've compared or asked. Because of this, it is even more mysterious. I have often noticed asteroids on it, and the coral is clearly not looking better because of that. The colony is constantly decreasing in size, while before it was growing. Can asteroids really do this? How to fight it? Should I collect and throw away such useful creatures? And one more question - does anyone know the name of the algae?

Daniel8015

There are no photos visible, but I think you will find the answer to the question about asterinas here: If you update the photo with the coral and algae, I will try to help with the identification.

Andrew7823

I re-uploaded the photos to Radikal. Yes, I read that they shouldn't be eating. The parameters seem normal, and the corals are doing fine. Only this unknown one has started to decrease. Also, in the first photo, you can see a new snail; maybe it's to blame? P.S. There were other events as well - a strombus recently died, and then, following it, a trochus :/ Turbos, columbellids, and a couple of other small unidentified mollusks are doing well. I don't know where to dig :/

Meghan

Here is the little coral. It has already been asked about on various forums, but it remains undefined.

Nicole263

Very cute briarium/clavularia Alga - Halimeda. You need to be careful with it, as it grows and consumes a lot of calcium, which can become a problem...

Patricia

Yes, they can indeed gnaw on corals!

Jamie3553

The coral is sick - that's what they eat along with the bacterial rot/film. I justify my answer by saying that "if they didn't eat it before and suddenly started eating it" - it must have started to smell.