Asterina starfish needs some help

BHAMR6 · Sep 5, 2011

I started finding chunks missing out of my sps tissue and every where I would see spots I would see these little starfish I didn't worry much until now because in the matter of a few wks I have lost nearly my whole rock covered in eagle eye zoa's... The rock is covered in these starfish and they have stripped it down to the bare rock no coraline or anything..

Whats the best way to get rid of these things I have heard harlequin shrimp but wanted to get a opinion from someone who has tried this.. Where is a good place to get them and what do you do when the starfish are all gone

Thanks Paul

Reef UP · Sep 5, 2011

Bongo shrimp and a linkia starfish just drip acclimate the linkia for a really long time!

ReeferDave · Sep 5, 2011

Throw them out they like to eat montis too....they ate my rainbow monti,darth maul zoas, and rasta zoas...I hunt for mine at night thats when they come out

Nuocmam · Sep 5, 2011

Harley shrimp works but can starve to death after he eats them all.

H@rry · Sep 6, 2011

There are several types of starfish referred to as Asterinas. The most common type have 6 (or 7) legs and three of them are usually shorter than the others. As far as I can tell these are harmless. There is another type that is a bit larger and has 5 legs. These are the ones I have found to munch on coral.

Harlequin shrimp will keep them in check. I have two that have pretty much cleaned up the stars. When you see them out in the open they are probably hungry and are very easy to catch with a net. I just rotate them to another tank when I catch one out in the open and notice a starfish in another tank. They also don't bother the micro brittle stars. I think they move too quickly and the shrimp wants something that will be still and let them graze on.

I got mine from Jason and Tammy.

Tomoko Schum · Sep 6, 2011

I understand that some people keep a cholocate chip star in their sump to feed Harlequin shrimp. They cut a section of a leg of the starfish to feed the shrimp in the display tank. The starfish will regenerate its leg over time. Seems rather cruel to me.....