noobreefer2
Well-Known Member
I have always wondered why people want to get rid of these little starfish I have a bunch in my tank.
What's so bad about asterinas?
- Thread starter noobreefer2
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Some eat various corals. Like most unintended predation in reef tanks, there is variation in whether a particular asterina will eat a particular coral. But after you see enough predation events you start to consider them a pest.
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noobreefer2
Well-Known Member
What's the best way to remove them?
They are not a problem -- until they become a problem. IME, once the population gets larger, they will start to go after zoanthids. Particularly the expensive ones in my experience.
For a while, I was picking off 50 or so each night with long tweezers.
For a while, I was picking off 50 or so each night with long tweezers.
+1 Some are bad and munch on corals. Others wrongly assume they are a pest.
On every tank I've run, I've sought them out and seed my tanks with them. They're a welcome bit of the clean up crew! I only introduce stars that I know are not coral munchers- if I'm unsure, I test them in QT with a "sacraficial coral". In my experience, 80-90% don't go after coral. However, I NEVER introduce any asterinas if they're found on/around coral, only those eating detritus off the glass.
On every tank I've run, I've sought them out and seed my tanks with them. They're a welcome bit of the clean up crew! I only introduce stars that I know are not coral munchers- if I'm unsure, I test them in QT with a "sacraficial coral". In my experience, 80-90% don't go after coral. However, I NEVER introduce any asterinas if they're found on/around coral, only those eating detritus off the glass.
Hemmdog
10K Club member
They can eat coral, also they eat coralline which usually helps curb nuisance algae growth on surfaces. When I had some I manually removed them off the glass everyday until they were gone. Took about two weeks.
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noobreefer2
Well-Known Member
Ok thank you all! I think I will start removing them.
Chefwheredyougo
Valuable Member
Just use your fingernails or a credit card and pull them off. Be careful not to dislodge one and lose it in the tank or you'll probably never see it again until it's made a billion clones
If you have a ton and can hold them in a container for a day, you might try listing them on the livestock forum. Someone who wants to seed their tank or especially anyone with a Harlequin shrimp would likely pay the shipping for you to mail them (they ship pretty well in my experience).
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noobreefer2
Well-Known Member
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noobreefer2
Well-Known Member
Got one!
It all depends on the species.
I've had some for 12+ years, they don't eat coralline or corals just detritus and film algae. They're 90% of my cleanup crew, reproduce for free and the population fluctuates to reflect the need for them. They'll intentionally go into any future tank.
I've had some for 12+ years, they don't eat coralline or corals just detritus and film algae. They're 90% of my cleanup crew, reproduce for free and the population fluctuates to reflect the need for them. They'll intentionally go into any future tank.
vetteguy53081
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They cant be trusted, breed like mice as they break off a leg which they grow back and the broken leg grows into a new star and the cycle repeats. I a month you can have 30 or more.
In my experience , they ate half a colony of bam Bam zoa which is slowly coming back
In my experience , they ate half a colony of bam Bam zoa which is slowly coming back
