Harlequin shrimp and Aesterna Starfish

[rydr119]

Do these guys really control Aesterna Starfish populations? I have tons of these annoying stars in my tank and if one of these will do the trick I might go and get one.
Thanks Gina

 

[Jeff]

They have always worked for me.

 

[mndfreeze]

Make sure you know what you're getting into before buying! Harlies are awesome little critters and need some special care. A friend had one that starved to death after clearing a major area of his tank of asterinas, but there will still tons on the other side of the tank. The shrimp just didn't hunt out that far for such small snacks apparently.

So plan on supplementing its feeding with a normal star, and in between big stars it will hunt tiny asterina's all the time and still wipe most of them out. Just don't starve your harlie!

 

[rydr119]

Oh thats what I figured, once the little ones are a little less I would get him a bigger star to munch on.

 

[VacavilleFC3S]

they do more than control it, they wipe it out. an asterina is nothing but a snack to a harlequin.

 

[miniwhinny]

I have to agree. Asterinas are finger food lol. I bought a baby male and a baby female Harlequin yesterday and they've both been snacking on Asterinas all morning.

 

[dwhanc00]

I assume they will eat brittle star fish as well? We have two large ones, but we have a major outbreak of the Asterinas. Guess it is a sacrifice you must take...

 

[palyam]

I assume they will eat brittle star fish as well? We have two large ones, but we have a major outbreak of the Asterinas. Guess it is a sacrifice you must take...

don't worry, it won't touch the brittle star