Astriña star fish

jorge0912 · Feb 4, 2020

So my tank has had them for past few months no matter what I do can’t get rid of them.. they never touched my zoas or coral that I noticed
I did noticed a circle bold spot today in my montipora but I don’t know if they could eat them ?
harley quien shrimps aren’t available anywhere where I am from or can’t be ordered

idk what to do tried everything already

jorge0912 · Feb 4, 2020

Night time done see them in the coral or night them they are just there u was told they were the peace full time at my zoo

They are just wait her on the coral one alage or glass cleaning

Hemmdog · Feb 4, 2020

I manually grabbed all of mine on the glass every day for two weeks when I had a bunch of them. It seems like a never ending battle the first week but their numbers really do get cut down to single digits after two weeks. Grab the rest off the glass when you see them until you have none, it will take a month or so. Your tank looks larger though so it may take longer or not be as feasible. Just an idea that worked for me and was free.

fishguy242 · Feb 4, 2020

agree

jorge0912 · Feb 4, 2020

Been doing that for a while and you are right it used to be worst now on water changes I get a hose tiny one and sifón them out
As much as I can but it seems ending -.- now they are in my cheato and don’t know how to clean that...
hmmm
U think that’s what did my bald spot in my green monti or maybe natural cause maybe sand on it or something -.-

SPR1968 · Feb 4, 2020

Can you not get a Harlequin Shrimp maybe mailorder? All they eat is starfish but you willl have to take it back to the LFS once it’s done it’s job or it will starve

Keep going by hand daily, especially in a morning when lights are off I did it for 2 weeks daily, the numbers dropped but they multiply quickly

IKD · Feb 4, 2020

Have you looked at Bublebee shrimp (not snails)? Stay small, Will eat asterina and other foods too so easier to keep longer term.

motortrendz · Feb 4, 2020

I literally remove them by the 100s sometimes. Using a net to remove them off the glass in the morning. Then they seem like they're down to a manageable number and I still remove the ones I see. Then all of a sudden they're population explodes. Seems like a neve ending battle. The dont seem to hurt anything in my system. But I usually give a couple batches of them to friends with harlequin shrimp.

Oliver d · Feb 4, 2020

I can relate to you have been picking them of one by one for the last two months.

jorge0912 · Feb 6, 2020

Welll every day now commitment since my lfs can’t order my the shrimp went to three of them and aren’t available.... been plucking them out for the pas two nights this is what I got every night since I see more white spots on my monti cap already

jorge0912 · Feb 6, 2020

Bumble bee shrimps aren’t available too

just my luck

fishguy242 · Feb 6, 2020

keep on pluckin the cannot breed faster than you can pull ,time you will find one

fishguy242 · Feb 6, 2020

yes bb shrimp hard to find

fishguy242 · Feb 6, 2020

what state are you in?

vetteguy53081 · Feb 6, 2020

Keep manually removing. I have 2 of 3 tanks that are asterina free from manual removal.
Seems like you’re getting nowhere then one day you realize there’s almost none

paraletho · Feb 6, 2020

Yea I was lucky enough to get a Harlequin a couple months ago. It wiped out the asterinas. Bought for forty and traded for a 60$ frag of SPS. Everyone is saying they are hard to come by right now. The asterinas will eat zoas. Mine have started recovering now that they are gone. Keep picking away you will get ahead soon enough.

jorge0912 · Feb 6, 2020

fishguy242 said:
what state are you in?

I am from Texas

And yes I will keep plucking ever night
Hopefully I finish them a lot of them are hard to get as there is allt of rock but I’ll kmjust let them come out

I’ll be waiting for them
And yeah they haven’t bothered anything but that green monti ! For some reason

fishguy242 · Feb 6, 2020

they will be readily avail mid april ,kinda seasonal thing i'm in so il just a little far i'm getting quite a few for all of my tanks keep on pluckin!! lol

IKD · Feb 6, 2020

jorge0912 said:
Bumble bee shrimps aren’t available too just my luck

Blue zoo Aquatics has Bumblebee Shrimp in stock. ive had good luck with buying from them a number of times.

Bumble Bee Shrimp, Striped Harlequin Shrimp - Gnathophyllum americanum

Bumble Bee Shrimp (Gnathophyllum americanum) is also knwon as Striped Harlequin Shrimp.

www.bluezooaquatics.com

Billdogg · Feb 6, 2020

If you limit their food source (Detritus and algae) their population will limit itself. I transfer them from tank to tank as needed so that there are always some to assist the rest of my CUC.

I've been doing that now for over 30 years and have yet to see one actually harm any form of coral. Yes, as they scoot amongst the zoas the zoas will retract for a short time but ultimately are none the worse for wear.