How to get rid of Asterina Starfish

GreatWhiteTang · Mar 25, 2015

Imo harlequins are terrible. For this.. They only eat live starfish.. They will eat a very small Portion of each star leaving the rest to. Decay.. And feed the problem of overpopulation.. If and when they do manage to Eliminate the populous.. What do they eat then? I'm not saying they don't work.. Just stating problems with this solution

s2minute · Mar 25, 2015

Asterina Starfish

I have a ton in my system, they don't bother anything as far as i can tell. All i see them do is help keep the glass clean. I rescue them during WC and maint.

s2minute · Mar 26, 2015

Had them in my system for years. Never once been a problem and i have 100s. No harm,no damage, no fuss. Just helping to clean my glass and my DT is LOADED with corals. I don't know what all the hype is about. If these critters were going to be a problem EVER, i'd have noticed it a long time ago.

Cleverbs · Mar 26, 2015

s2minute said:
Had them in my system for years. Never once been a problem and i have 100s. No harm,no damage, no fuss. Just helping to clean my glass and my DT is LOADED with corals. I don't know what all the hype is about. If these critters were going to be a problem EVER, i'd have noticed it a long time ago.

I dont know as if they are really a problem, for me I had to many and I didnt like the fact my glass had them all over it. I had 1000's in my system and I dont think they bring anything positive to the tank and I have always wanted a pair of harlequins so I thought boom, heres my chance

shred5 · Mar 26, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Personally, I like them and I have quite a few.

Yep me too.. But then again it depends on which kind.

s2minute · Mar 26, 2015

Asterina Stars

Cleverbs said:
I dont know as if they are really a problem, for me I had to many and I didnt like the fact my glass had them all over it. I had 1000's in my system and I dont think they bring anything positive to the tank and I have always wanted a pair of harlequins so I thought boom, heres my chance

Chocolate Chip starfish are not cheap and not always avail. Just remember that when you buy those Harlequins and they quickly run out of those tiny Asterina snacks, that's what you're going to have to feed the Harlequins. You'll be responsible for the lives of those shrimp once you get them so think twice on removing what you think is a pest but in reality, is not. :angel:

Cleverbs · Mar 26, 2015

s2minute said:
Chocolate Chip starfish are not cheap and not always avail. Just remember that when you buy those Harlequins and they quickly run out of those tiny Asterina snacks, that's what you're going to have to feed the Harlequins. You'll be responsible for the lives of those shrimp once you get them so think twice on removing what you think is a pest but in reality, is not. :angel:

Im not sure they have the ability to eat them faster then they can reproduce. If that happens I will just trade them in to my LFS. Not a big deal.

shred5 · Mar 26, 2015

s2minute said:
Chocolate Chip starfish are not cheap and not always avail. Just remember that when you buy those Harlequins and they quickly run out of those tiny Asterina snacks, that's what you're going to have to feed the Harlequins. You'll be responsible for the lives of those shrimp once you get them so think twice on removing what you think is a pest but in reality, is not. :angel:

Agreed.

Pete polyp · Mar 27, 2015

s2minute said:
Chocolate Chip starfish are not cheap and not always avail. Just remember that when you buy those Harlequins and they quickly run out of those tiny Asterina snacks, that's what you're going to have to feed the Harlequins. You'll be responsible for the lives of those shrimp once you get them so think twice on removing what you think is a pest but in reality, is not. :angel:

Got butter?

Sonam · Mar 30, 2015

We have a pair of harlequin shrimp that appear to be too involved in mating rituals to address the Asterina issue for which they were purchased.

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1427758474.595077.jpg

Kehaulani · May 2, 2015

Pete polyp said:
Bumblebee shrimp will eat them as they are a different type of harlequin shrimp. The advantage is that they don't have an exclusive diet to starfish. You don't have to feed them starfish after they rid your tank.

Other than starfish what do bumblebee shrimp eat? Just curious as I got one yesterday. It was a hitchhiker on a piece of coral.