Killing Asterina stars with a dip?

[monkey4life]

I'm setting up a nano reef, and i have plenty of live rock in my 125 display. I have the opportunity to dip the rock and clean any pests off of it, but I want to keep it 'live' so I can minimize my cycle. The big issue is the Asterina stars on everything. I know harlequin shrimp will help, but I don't want to buy one and have it die due to lack of food. I'm willing to do an aggressive dip to rid the rock of the asterina stars, but does anyone have a product recommendation?

[cloak]

Whatever dip you choose, if it's strong enough to remove the asterina stars then it's probably going to remove some of the other beneficial micro fauna on the rock as well. I don't think you can have one without the other. Your best bet in my opinion is to just move the rock over and then manually remove the stars with a siphon as you see them. Just as an example, if you were to dedicate maybe five minutes each day for about week you'll probably be able to put a significant dent in the population. GL.

Btw, the best time to hunt is right after the lights come on. Most corals will be closed and the stars will probably be on the move.

[soulpatch]

I grabbed a harlequin from my LFS and used it for the month or so it took then simply took him back after all said and done. Worked out great and they are easy to trap especially if you get a star leg to use as bait or a few asterina stars in a trap.