Harlequin Shrimp eat asterinas?

[nivram]

Anyone have luck with their harlequin shrimp eating asterinas?


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[nismo_32]

I have a pair that destroyed my asterina star problem in literally weeks. And I had a lot.


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[JaimeAdams]

Yes, that is exactly what they do.

 

[Rogger Castells]

Yes, they eat them but it takes time for them to be effective

 

[DgenR8]

I've read posts from folks that have had no luck with Harlequins eating Asterinas, but in my experience, Harleys do eat Asterinas.
Problem becomes feeding them when the Asterina stars are gone. Most feed them chocolate chip stars, some people just can't get themselves to put a CC star in their tank.

 

[dadummy]

mine devours them, they eat sand sifting stars too, way safer than a cc

 

[AquamanE]

I've read posts from folks that have had no luck with Harlequins eating Asterinas, but in my experience, Harleys do eat Asterinas.
Problem becomes feeding them when the Asterina stars are gone. Most feed them chocolate chip stars, some people just can't get themselves to put a CC star in their tank.

That's why a try to just deal with the asterina. Hard to let such a beautiful animal starve once asterina is done.

In the past they have indeed cleaned up me asterina, but then they come back in plugs, cuc , etc...

 

[Rogger Castells]

I suppose that you could always pass it on to someone else that has the problem instead of letting them starve


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[nivram]

If anyone is interested in sharing their harlequin, I've got some asterinas I'd like to get rid of before they get out of hand in my tank.


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[Scott H.]

I had to give mine away. I have 3 systems totaling 400 or so gallons. It cleaned my asterinas out, then the LFS. At that point i had to order and waste chocolate chip stars, as they die and pollute the tank if you don't remove them. Beautiful creatures, but best left in the ocean.

 

[dadummy]

read somewhere you can cut up a starfish and freeze the pieces, feed them to the shrimp, haven't tried it yet though

 

[DgenR8]

read somewhere you can cut up a starfish and freeze the pieces, feed them to the shrimp, haven't tried it yet though

You could keep a few CCstars in your sump and cut off one arm at a time for the shrimp (they do far better in pairs, and really should be kept that way). The star will regrow the arm, and you can whack an arm off another for the next feeding.
Thing is, stars aren't soft and fleshy like they look. Cutting off that arm is tough, and it feels like it HAS to hurt the star.
I felt better about letting nature take it's course, one whole star at a time.
My Harleys never left anything to rot and foul my tank.

 

[nismo_32]

Agree with dgenr8 I usually just give mine a chocolate chip every week and half to 2 weeks. I though about doing the keg cutting technicque but couldn't get myself to do it.

 

[AquamanE]

My issue has been, once asterina are gone they are not easy to catch. So sharing with others is mute.