Bad starfish?

[Bleigh]

These are the kind of starfish I want to pick off, correct?

 

[Cell]

Looks like asterina, so generally yes you probably want to remove them. They can multiply rapidly and some could develop a taste for coral.

 

[Bryson.bobby]

Yep. They’re asterina. Maybe look into harlequin shrimp, but it’ll die once it eats all of them.

 

[JLUR_]

Asteriniid star. Hard to say if it's the kind that likes to eat coral unless you catch him doing it but I'd yank him out just to be safe.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hello

It’s 50/50, I think if it will be a bother or not for coral.

If you see one, there probably some more hanging around. You can pull them as they appear, otherwise depending on the food available they can multiply quickly, like bunnies.

 

[Katrina71]

I'd remove it. I was told the darker ones are more prone to be naughty.

 

[Bleigh]

K. I’ve picked off one I saw awhile back. But since then I’ve read mixed opinions about asteria stars. I’ve heard that the 6 legged ones are goodand the ones with odd number of legs are bad. I did pick this one off and put it in a bowl just in case it did turn out to be a good one.

 

[Greg Witherell]

Even if they are not harmful to corals they can get out of hand quickly. I noticed one, then ten then a lot more, tried hand removal and couldn't make a dent so got a harlequin shrimp he is taking care of them but slowly. The shrimp is pretty cool too everyone always asks what is that?

 

[Bleigh]

Even if they are not harmful to corals they can get out of hand quickly. I noticed one, then ten then a lot more, tried hand removal and couldn't make a dent so got a harlequin shrimp he is taking care of them but slowly. The shrimp is pretty cool too everyone always asks what is that?

So far I’ve seen 2 in about 3 months. So I know they’re in there, but they’re either hiding well or in very small numbers. I can’t wait until I have a tank big enough to support a harlequin shrimp!

 

[TexasTodd]

I'd remove it. I was told the darker ones are more prone to be naughty.

LOL, that is a GREAT reply! What I've heard too but you put it better.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I'd remove it. I was told the darker ones are more prone to be naughty.

 

[motortrendz]

My tank is full of them. I usually catch a dozen or so when my dad comes to visit and send them home with him for his harlequin. I have a bird wrasse and he doesnt like shrimp in the tank lol. So I raise them up and ship them out. But I've b
Never seen one on a coral... yet. I've shipped a chocolate chip starfish out bc I caught it eating a 50$ acro frag, gave it the beinifit of the doubt and just moved it. the next morning it ate my WD frag... he became harlequin food after that.

 

[rkpetersen]

I’ve heard that the 6 legged ones are goodand the ones with odd number of legs are bad.

Not true. Asterinas split frequently and can wind up with anywhere from 1 to 7 arms.

 

[Bleigh]

Not true. Asterinas split frequently and can wind up with anywhere from 1 to 7 arms.

Thanks for that. lol. I thought the leg thing was weird, but figured I'd ask.

I took him out. I'm still trying to figure out other variables. Don't really want possible coral eating starfish to be one other variable.

 

[T_BONE]

When I had several of them in my tank I would pick them out after turkey baster blasting my rockscape. That seemed to get them into the open where I could nab them. Got a Harlequin Shrimp in my area that we rotate out from reefer to reefer to keep them at bay but have never had any eating on my corals. And I too have seen them with anywhere from 2-6 legs.

 

[Bleigh]

When I had several of them in my tank I would pick them out after turkey baster blasting my rockscape. That seemed to get them into the open where I could nab them. Got a Harlequin Shrimp in my area that we rotate out from reefer to reefer to keep them at bay but have never had any eating on my corals. And I too have seen them with anywhere from 2-6 legs.

Rotating a harlequin shrimp is a great idea. There's probably enough reefers in Charlotte to do that too.

 

[RomoFL]

Omg I have an explosion of these and baby snails in my 20 gallon right now! I really wish someone local could let me borrow a harlequin.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Plus 1 on @rkpetersen said about number of legs. Although they can reproduce by spawning, the ones in our tanks simply split....literally....a couple legs go one way, and the other set goes the other way, and now you have two. So you find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 whatever number of "legs" on these guys.

Now what I'm about to say is what was told to me years ago, so take if for what it's worth......The light colored Asterina's are reef safe....white to light grey to light tan. The dark Asterina's are coral eaters. Again, no idea if this is true, but I can tell you that I've had light colored Asterina's in my tank for over ten years and they haven't been an issue.

 

[mefisto]

I have always considered them as part of the system. As opportunistic feeders the population increases or decreases with the availability of food (micro algae).
None of them bothers the corals.

For many years back I had to occasionally pull a few of them off some zoantids. After this incident the remaining population appears to be reed save.

 

[RomoFL]