getting rid of asterina starfish

[tcoral]

Are there anything else out there that eats asterina starfish besides harlequin shrimp? (I wouldn't mind the shrimp but don't think they'd survive long with my daughter's dwarf golden eels, my yellow hawkfish, and snooty wrasse). Anything else get rid of them? I've been hearing that nardoa stars may not be reef safe, I had one and it ate the stars until I got rid of it.


(p.s. I don't want to hear one peep or debate about WHY I want to remove them, let's keep on topic as to what WILL eat, kill, maim or remove them and will stay in my tank).

[CLeadfootS]

I would like to know this too. I have a hawk fish as well. I have lots of these starfish and picking all of them out by hand would be a pain.

[cichlid9]

I have never witnessed it but whenever I put a six line wrasse in my 20 gallon, i see a dramatic drop in the number of starfish. I will see an adult once and a while that I just manually pull out. I think they might eat the small ones. Every time my wrasse commits suicide I see the numbers of starfish increase.

[GuySmily]

My coral beauty pecks at the teeny tiny stars on my glass all day (there are probably hundreds, smaller than a .5mm lead pencil tip). Don't know if they're baby asterinas or what. I can watch the little white dots disappear as he targets each individual one.

[tcoral]

hmmm, I wonder if it's just the sixline that does it and if it's just individual behavior. Sixlines are on the smaller side and wonder if it'll get eaten in my tank too.

[cichlid9]

The six line has been the only fish that I have kept so far but I hear they have a mean streak, maybe he could hold his own lol. I dont think its individual behavior because I have had several. My next project is making a screen for the top of my tank!

[HV1990]

....peep...... sorry couldn't resist. good luck on the removal.

[tcoral]

Originally Posted by HV1990

....peep...... sorry couldn't resist. good luck on the removal.

No peeps allowed, LOL.

[tcoral]

Originally Posted by cichlid9

The six line has been the only fish that I have kept so far but I hear they have a mean streak, maybe he could hold his own lol. I dont think its individual behavior because I have had several. My next project is making a screen for the top of my tank!

does it get rid of full sized stars? I've got them all over the front of my tank.

[cichlid9]

Originally Posted by tcoral

does it get rid of full sized stars? I've got them all over the front of my tank.

I dont think it gets rid of the full size ones, I would jus pick the big guys out as I saw them and then never noticed them anymore until the wrasse jumped.

[Hagisan]

Unfortunately, my 6-line does not touch the ones in my tank. My harlequin shrimp did a number on them until it died and got fed to the nem. I would even see it surfing the back glass to get them.
But you're correct, it wouldn't last that long in the tank with the fish you listed.

[Steventnguyen]

I read somewhere that pink tail or bluejaw trigger fish will eat them

[Steventnguyen]

But they might eat ur corals

[tcoral]

Well, on the advice of a LFS owner I'm giving it a try (I told him he's in big trouble if he's wrong). So far there's staring at it and then ignoring. Is there something about them, like color that's a warning? I'll be glad if they're ignored in my tank. *Knock on wood*

Brian P I believe has them in his tank and he has a big wrasse in his tank.

[Borchers]

Pull them out manually and place them on top.of your light fixture to dry out. That's my way. seen them eat to many prized colonies or Zoas and Palys.

[tcoral]

so far, saw the shrimps this morning before they moved to darker quarters, may be a coincidence but a lot of the starfish moved up to the water line, maybe they know the exterminators are in town?

Shawn, if I were to pick them out manually, I'll be doing it for several days straight and the top of the tank would be covered!

[tcoral]

OK, here's a blurry night shot of the invasion:



That rectangle on the right is one of the mirrors to keep my fish from attacking my new fish.

[Saltwaternooby]

As long as they don't get eaten they will get rid of them all. However they will starve when they are gone.

[windowlicker916]

My harlequin and my wallet would love all those star fish!

[tcoral]

Originally Posted by windowlicker916

My harlequin and my wallet would love all those star fish!

Lol my tank:

Harlequin tusk-out
Harlequin shrimp -in

[marc nichols]

would be curious to hear what the bottom line is here. I'm not really bothered by all my hordes of asterinas, but having them gone would be good too. Of course, who wants the cure to be worse than the problem! Anyone want 'em? LOL

[tcoral]

Originally Posted by marc nichols

would be curious to hear what the bottom line is here. I'm not really bothered by all my hordes of asterinas, but having them gone would be good too. Of course, who wants the cure to be worse than the problem! Anyone want 'em? LOL

I don't think that harlequin shrimp are worse than the problem. They're cute and have the stars running for their lives. When I went in to get some fish food Joe asked if I saw the stars all at the top of the tank, I said yes, and he said that that's because the stars sensed the shrimp were there.

I got rid of an existing H. tusk from my tank, now he was a problem, LOL.

[Saltwaternooby]

Just run the mag float back and forth to knock down the stars.

[tcoral]

Originally Posted by Saltwaternooby

Just run the mag float back and forth to knock down the stars.

acrylic tank, all I need is one of these guys scratching.

[HV1990]

Tina you could sell the stars as Harlequin shrimp food =)