asterina starfish

[macawmagic]

http://zoaid.com/index.php?module=Gallery2&g2_itemId=1470

theres a picture of what I've got in my tank. That picture is taken off of zoaid.com. I have been having some troubles with some of my zoas and mushrooms so I'm wondering if this could be it.

If this is the problem how do you kill these things? I took one out of the tank the other day, but saw another one where I couldn't reach him.

Please help!

 

[bawla47]

get a harlequin shrimp. they feed exclusively on asterina starfish. but keep in mind once he polishes them off, youll need to supplement his diet with some other type of starfish, as that is only what they eat in there diet.

http://www.marinecenter.com/inverts/shrimps/harlequinshrimp/

there so cool looking too!

 

[macawmagic]

thanks. sounds like a good idea because those shrimp are pretty cool, but does that mean I need to buy starfish like once a week so that it could eat them?

 

[ReefWreak]

Yes. There have been people on RC who keep those shrimp (beautiful little things, I saw some the other day in anemonies at an LFS... which one.... Maybe Barrier Reef?) and they have to feed them the arms of starfish. They chop off one arm every few days and keep the star in their sump until next feeding. Kinda barbaric, kinda sucks, kinda expensive, but definitely cool

 

[coralfragger101]

Another option would be to buy the Harlequin and once your tank is cleaned up - pass it on to someone else that needs its services.

Rent it out. I'd rent it for awhile

I just counted 81 on the front glass alone of a 30 gal tank I have.

 

[chrisaggie]

The harlequin shrimp don't always eat the asterina starfish. It's a hit or miss thing.

 

[illal]

id stay away from harlequin .... beautiful shrimp how ever he will almost definitly not make it long term

btw i see asterna's in my tank every once in a while ..when i do i just snatch them up and thow um in the sump and ive never had any problems or noticed any damage to my zoo's

 

[Juan-Carlos]

Solution: Learn to live with them - once you got em theres not much you can do. Even if the harlequins do get the taste for them which then don't always. Odd's are very high that they will miss ONE, and thats all it takes in a couple months the tank will be full of the litle suckers again.

They ussually only bother badly stressed or dieing corals - so if your tank is in check I woulden't worry too much about em.

Good luck!

-Jc

 

[mrabolli]

anyone notice that this thread is comprised of only ppl in south florida? kinda funny. what r the chances.

 

[jessp]

probably because the club is based out of south florida, and this is the club thread

 

[mrabolli]

roger

 

[bckane]

I've have spotted a few asterina starfish on the glass, They haven't seem to hurting anything that I can tell.........Should I be looking for a disaster soon.?

 

[jessp]

i've had them for a couple years and no ill effects that i have noticed.

 

[bckane]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10109060#post10109060 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jessp
i've had them for a couple years and no ill effects that i have noticed.

Jess how's Married Life.?

 

[jessp]

so far so good, i think i may have to buy her a 120 gal as a wedding present lol

 

[LouPhoenix]

Congrats Jess... welcome to the club!

I've had Asterinas hitch in from the original pile of LR in my tank. They've always been there but in very small numbers and never seem to bother the coral.

 

[ReefWreak]

I've had asterinas for a while since I got some LS to seed my tank from another club member. I think that they're great for cleanup crew, and I've never really heard anything bad from them. I'm kind of surprised that you're having troubles with them. I would not expect a harlequin to make the least bit of difference in your asterina population.