asterina stars

[jedb]

Harlequin shrimp? anyone know where to get them?

or know of any other method of getting rid of them.. i hate these starfish

 

[davidpesce]

Harlequins do a great job of this. Where are you located?

 

[titoav15]

you can use the fish net to scrape them off little by little.

 

[tmz]

Harlequins starve once they reduce the asterina population. Then the asterinas bounce back if nutrients are high and they have enough algae and phytoplanktom to eat. So unless you are up for buying chocholate chip stars and cutting off live legs for food don't plan on keeping one for very long.

I've used a piece of air hose with a length of rigid tubing on the tank end to siphon them up by the hundreds very quickly. It even sucks em off rock.They are usually out in force just before the lights go on. The airline tube is small and draws just a little water which can be put back in the tank

 

[davidpesce]

Harlequins starve once they reduce the asterina population. Then the asterinas bounce back if nutrients are high and they have enough algae and phytoplanktom to eat. So unless you are up for buying chocholate chip stars and cutting off live legs for food don't plan on keeping one for very long.

Just buy a couple sand-sifter stars. The harley will just pull off an arm here or there when it needs it.

 

[magdelan]

Just buy a couple sand-sifter stars. The harley will just pull off an arm here or there when it needs it.

OR..... siphon them out as Tom said and call it a day. Why go out of your way when you don't need to. Besides, if you have so many asterinas, you need to figure out where the extra bio load is. A Harliquin would only be a bandaid. I used to have tons of them aswell, but since I have been doing very regular water changes, I can't even find one... I sort of miss them now!

 

[laxing22]

All the years I had a reef tank and never had a one of these, But when I set up my new tank, I noticed several right away - now I probably have near 100 (if I count the hiding ones). But other than they repopulate fast, why are they so bad? I never see them on any of my corals (SPS, LPS, polyps, leathers etc…)

 

[davidpesce]

OR..... siphon them out as Tom said and call it a day. Why go out of your way when you don't need to. Besides, if you have so many asterinas, you need to figure out where the extra bio load is. A Harliquin would only be a bandaid. I used to have tons of them aswell, but since I have been doing very regular water changes, I can't even find one... I sort of miss them now!

But they're so pretty. :spin1:

 

[jedb]

they are eating away my coraline algae and have munched on all my corals, not that i have many but there all pretty much gone, i really think i need to tear the tank down...

Harlequins do a great job of this. Where are you located?

located in east amherst area.

 

[quonnie]

ok so I have few too are they really all that bad to have in you tank?

 

[tmz]

N, small numbers of tehm are fine ,imo.

 

[jedb]

mine just eat all the coraline algae and makes the tank look dead.. also they have ate my corals, so for me there bad.. it all depends.. but they dont do anything good.. imo

 

[shroutk3]

corals can decline for many reasons. Can you describe your tank including lighting, water change schedule, and water parameters?

this could help.

 

[jedb]

well im tearing down tank so its not a problem

but the stars are anouinh

 

[jedb]

annoying*

 

[mymicroreef]

I have them in my 20g reef. Yes they eat some of the coralline algea but have never had problems with them eating my soft corals.