asterinea star/harlequin shrimp

[YoCamron]

after about 10 years in the hobby i got my first asterinea starfish, also known as a pest starfish. they are popping up in my 6 gallon nano reef, and are spreading quickly. i have seahorses and pipefish in the tank, and a hang on the back refugium where i keep my copepod population. i was wondering if i grab a few stars and throw them in my refugium and let them populate if i could keep a harlequin shrimp in the tank. has anyone ever had success getting a population of these (on purpose LoL) and would they last long enough for the harlequin star to live in there without me having to add stars

 

[Mr. Bill]

Harlequin shrimp do NOT eat sea stars, only their tube feet; you would never keep enough asterinas to sustain one. Contrary to popular belief, asterina stars are not pests, they're an invaluable addition to your CuC, feeding on detritus, leftover food, and nuisance algae, while harming nothing. Also, their population is controlled by available food.

 

[shoelaceike]

Some of my asterinas were eating SPS so I got a shrimp and the numbers have gone down significantly. He's always snacking on one when I see him

 

[Kershaw]

I had thousands in my 180. Two harliquen shrimp decimated them in less then a year to the point where you had to look for the star fish. Every morning my glass was covered. I think one would starve to death in just a few months

 

[YoCamron]

Harlequin shrimp do NOT eat sea stars, only their tube feet; you would never keep enough asterinas to sustain one. Contrary to popular belief, asterina stars are not pests, they're an invaluable addition to your CuC, feeding on detritus, leftover food, and nuisance algae, while harming nothing. Also, their population is controlled by available food.

i have read that they can destroy zoa colonies, and other SPS corals. i know they're very beneficial otherwise, but if they destroy coral then they're a pest to me

 

[YoCamron]

Some of my asterinas were eating SPS so I got a shrimp and the numbers have gone down significantly. He's always snacking on one when I see him

I don't want mine hitting my zoa colonies... do you put in starfish often or do you just let him find asternias around the tank?

 

[YoCamron]

I had thousands in my 180. Two harliquen shrimp decimated them in less then a year to the point where you had to look for the star fish. Every morning my glass was covered. I think one would starve to death in just a few months

yea that's the big problem. they may eat my sps corals, but the harlequin is really the only thing that can fit in that tank to get rid of them. but the even bigger problem is i live next to petco so I can't just buy one then return it LoL, so I would be stuck buying it starfish every week or so

 

[Psiber_Syn]

Mine eats a full grown chocolate chip star a month petco has them for like 11 bux as for the asterisks no way to get a big enough population imo to keep the Harley

Also @Mr. Bill Tell that to my Harley there is nothing left of the star when he's done lol

 

[Kershaw]

There are different species of the star fish. Mine never touched any coral. The only way you can tell is if they eat coral I think.

 

[shoelaceike]

I don't want mine hitting my zoa colonies... do you put in starfish often or do you just let him find asternias around the tank?

I just let him find them

 

[Kershaw]

Maybe find a local reefer to take it from you when your stars are gone

 

[FarmerTy]

Yeah, you wouldn't be able to sustain a harlequin on asterinas alone. They aren't a pest unless you see them eating something they shouldn't. I have thousands in my tank and they never ate anything. YMMV.

My harlequin destroyed the population in a year and then I passed him along.

 

[YoCamron]

Yeah, you wouldn't be able to sustain a harlequin on asterinas alone. They aren't a pest unless you see them eating something they shouldn't. I have thousands in my tank and they never ate anything. YMMV.

My harlequin destroyed the population in a year and then I passed him along.

i turned on the lights this morning and saw my rasta colony split in half and missing heads... need these asternias gone ASAP. not too many reefers in my area, and none of them could take the harlequins when i am done with them, so i may just get 3 chocolate chip stars and cut a leg off of 1 each week and feed the harlequins that way

 

[ReefBuzz]

... Contrary to popular belief, asterina stars are not pests, they're an invaluable addition to your CuC, feeding on detritus, leftover food, and nuisance algae, while harming nothing.

Strongly disagree when you say asterina do not harm anything. I have witnessed them on top of zoanthids and have watched huge colonies dwindle because of asterina infestation. It was when I culled out the asterina several times a day over a 2 week period that I stopped loosing Zoas.

 

[YoCamron]

Strongly disagree when you say asterina do not harm anything. I have witnessed them on top of zoanthids and have watched huge colonies dwindle because of asterina infestation. It was when I culled out the asterina several times a day over a 2 week period that I stopped loosing Zoas.

i am afraid they have already started to hit my colonies... rastas arent looking so hot

 

[FarmerTy]

It just depends, there are thousands of varieties of asterina stars. To assume all of them are safe or all of them are not is overreaching either way.

If they are attacking corals, remove them. If they aren't, they are safe so let them be to do their job.

 

[Psiber_Syn]

Ime I tried letting them regrow their legs and all I had 4 that I alternated cutting and they did not regen quick enough I just drop a while star in now he keeps it sedated enough so it don't cause a problem

 

[Kershaw]

It just depends, there are thousands of varieties of asterina stars. To assume all of them are safe or all of them are not is overreaching either way.

If they are attacking corals, remove them. If they aren't, they are safe so let them be to do their job.

I agree with this 100% in my case they never hurt anything. But I have heard many cases where they would destroy Coral. Just so you know, I had a serpent star and the harliquens never touched it. They just ate the astrina stars. I wish I had those stars so I could get harliquen they are cool to watch and know one ever believes they are shrimp

 

[YoCamron]

Ime I tried letting them regrow their legs and all I had 4 that I alternated cutting and they did not regen quick enough I just drop a while star in now he keeps it sedated enough so it don't cause a problem

how many legs did you feed a week?

 

[Psiber_Syn]

I would cut 2 knobs off a cc star every couple of days always made him finish what he had and wait a full day before dropping another

There was also once or twice that after the first cut I lost a star totally I tried feeding it to him frozen he did not eat it at all so now I just drop a whole one in and keep a watch on it if the knobs on it ever go flat get it out its dead and will more than likely be mushy so be careful so far he somehow keeps it alive long enough to eat all of it if you see them out searching the tank he's hungry and finished with it or for some reason it died I don't think they will eat it after it dies ....if you ever smelled one dead I can't blame him lol