Wanted "asterina starfish"

[CoralBeauty13]

Does anyone have an abundant supply of starfish they are wanting to rid of. I had about 500-700-ish and got a harlequin Shrimp, knowing i was pretty much renting the little guy. But now I've fallen in love with it and really don't want to part with it.

Does anyone know where I could buy them ? I cut the tank light for two days to see how many climbs the glass and I figure I have about 30-40 left.

Chopping up a starfish will be my last resort, if I even go there. I know they heal back, but it just sounds so traumatic.....
Thx to anyone with any Stars or ideas

 

[gone fishin]

Chocolate chip stars a pretty cheap.

 

[kmbyrnes]

I got one for the same reason. 2 months in and my glass still looks like the milky way in the AM. I guess he needs to stay a little longer.

 

[Sk8r]

Put asterinas in a moss-sand-rock fuge and farm them, while improving your water quality.

 

[Spar]

Chocolate chip stars a pretty cheap.

i went this route and sustained my harlequins just fine. just cut an arm off at a time, once a week or so.

 

[ScienceAchieved]

Go to your lfs and ask if you could pick through thier live rock tank. Probly could get a good population to farm

 

[Calappidae]

Some one PM'd me here,

Harlequins CANNOT live on a fully asterina starfish diet. Like you've already experienced, they plow through massive populations.

A harlequin shrimp would need fed 15 asterina starfish, per day. Unless you have this massive dedication and population to keep up with that, it's impossible to keep them on an asterina diet. There also the chance, that's specific species of asterina, the harlequin will reject. I've multiple times, have seen harlequins ignore given asterinas over preference for others.

Chocolate chip starfish are just your best bet. I just buy them and throw the starfish in every 2-3 weeks.. whenever they finish the last. Not too different cost wise from buying dog food. If it's a moral reason that you can't stand watching them eat huge stars, the thing the made me overcome that perspective.. is starfish don't have brains, so they aren't really bothered by it anyway.

 

[Spar]

Also worth adding is that they will mow over your population in a matter of weeks. I had two harlequins and easily over a thousand asterina stars. They were gone in 3 months.

 

[CoralBeauty13]

Thx, Everyone, yes, i have hundreds of those stars and this little guy just hammered through them. I may go the CC route, but thinking i'll leave it in the sump and "trim" it once a week or so. Just leave little a few pieces her and there within easy reach for the shrimp so he doesn't plow down at once. I'll remember where I put it so it's doesn't rot. Still feel a bit "oh man" about it.