Other ways to get rid of asterina starfish besides a Harlequin shrimp?

[ReeferRyan]

I have an outbreak of coralline algae-eating asterina starfish, and I am having trouble getting rid of them. I use a turkey baster to siphon out every one that I can get to, but after a month it still hasn't done the trick. I tried to order a harlequin shrimp but none of my LFS can get them. Are there any other ways to get these guys gone quickly? They are destroying my coralline

 

[racrumrine]

Are you sure they are totally eating it?

I find that they rest on a spot, the coralline color gets lighter (I think of it as a deep cleaning), they move on, and the color returns to normal in a few days.

On the other hand, if you had an Urchin, it would eat the coralline down to the bare rock.

If you pulled them out every day, you should be able to drastically reduce their numbers. Hopefully, there will be other reefers in your area that would want them.

Best of luck,

Roy

 

[ReeferRyan]

I am sure that they are totally eating it, because when they are done the bare rock is visible. I have drastically reduced their numbers, and after some of the other reefers saw the damage they do none wanted them, but they are still causing problems. They will leave everything alone for several days and then overnight they take out a rock or two. I looked it up and there is only one species that actually eats coralline, and I am lucky enough to have gotten that species. Oh well