Overrun with Asterinas

SteveCon89 · 08/16/2012, 11:10 PM

So I have a ton of asterina's in my tank, didn't notice them at first and thought my coral was dying because of my new AI Sol..but after turning the light down to 25% and not seeing any improvement for a couple weeks, I started to investigate. I saw a couple small stars and found that there were good ones and bad ones, at this point idc what kind they are I just want them gone. I hear harlequin shrimp are the best way to go, but was wondering if there were any other options because I dont want to buy cc stars to keep feeding the shrimp.

In the event that I have to get harlequin's, how many for a 60g and will they be okay with my coral banded? thanks guys.

Peter Eichler · 08/16/2012, 11:34 PM

If you're overrun it'll take a while for the shrimp to eat all of the stars, a combo of shrimp and siphoning them out when they're on the glass would be my suggestion. When the stars are gone, find someone else with stars to give the shrimp to...

Palting · 08/17/2012, 06:19 AM

All you need is one harlequin. Took one harlequin 3 months in my 150 to completely wipe out thousands of asterinas.

mclevenger10 · 08/17/2012, 09:58 AM

I also have asterina stars in my tank and was given great advice from a local reefer. He told me to watch the movements of the stars and see where they mostly hang out. I have never seen the stars near my corals, and the ones I do have seem to be alge eaters. I guess I am lucky. But he told me if you see the stars near your coral, then get rid of them. If not don't worry about them, they will help clean your tank

Donkeykong · 08/17/2012, 10:47 AM

I got 1 shrimp for my 75g and in 3 months there wasnt an asterina in sight, then I found someone else in my local club that had this problem and passed the shrimp along. It mad its way thru several tanks before finally losing an ill advised fight with an MP40.

Whisperer · 08/17/2012, 11:53 AM

I remove them manually. How hard is it to catch them.

jcw · 08/17/2012, 11:59 AM

i see the occasional one from time to time. I didn't know they harm corals.

how prone are they to explode in population? my tanks been up 1.5 years and i rarely see more than one at a time.

Whisperer · 08/17/2012, 12:36 PM

Mine eat algae off the glass. Never seen them harm corals.

nasoisking · 08/17/2012, 10:08 PM

ive never had them eat my corals either, must be different types?

brandon429 · 08/17/2012, 11:03 PM

Best pic I've seen of an asterina trail

Peter Eichler · 08/17/2012, 11:09 PM

There are many species of Asterina starfish. For many years I was skeptical of hobbyists who claimed they were a nuisance, as I only ever had the types that were quite benign.

However, I started to get overrun with one type that was clearly eating my corals a year or two ago. It took some time to really know it was the stars, and by the time I realized they wer the problem it was too late. I lost many large colonies of zoanthids, acropora, and lps that were grown from tiny frags before I could think the populations enough for coral growth to outpace munching. It took me fragging declining colonies and moving them to my anemone tank, hooked up to the same system but devoid of starfish, to make me finally figure out the problem.

That said, I've been in the hobby for 25+ years and have only just now come across this more troublesome species, or perhaps just several starfish gone rogue, so don't assume that what you have is a pest of a nuisance.

08/16/2012, 11:10 PM	#1
SteveCon89 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 266	Overrun with Asterinas So I have a ton of asterina's in my tank, didn't notice them at first and thought my coral was dying because of my new AI Sol..but after turning the light down to 25% and not seeing any improvement for a couple weeks, I started to investigate. I saw a couple small stars and found that there were good ones and bad ones, at this point idc what kind they are I just want them gone. I hear harlequin shrimp are the best way to go, but was wondering if there were any other options because I dont want to buy cc stars to keep feeding the shrimp. In the event that I have to get harlequin's, how many for a 60g and will they be okay with my coral banded? thanks guys.

08/17/2012, 06:19 AM	#3
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	All you need is one harlequin. Took one harlequin 3 months in my 150 to completely wipe out thousands of asterinas. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam Last edited by Palting; 08/17/2012 at 06:32 AM.

08/17/2012, 11:53 AM	#6
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	I remove them manually. How hard is it to catch them. __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank

08/17/2012, 11:59 AM	#7
jcw Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: elmhurst, il Posts: 1,778	i see the occasional one from time to time. I didn't know they harm corals. how prone are they to explode in population? my tanks been up 1.5 years and i rarely see more than one at a time. __________________ I don't think Coral can live very long under Sun light. It's too yellow. ...get yourself some LED's. -eznet2u Current Tank Info: 125g DT, custom 30g sump, ATB elegance, eheim 1260, mp40 (too many failed wetsides), gyre 150 (love it)

08/17/2012, 12:36 PM	#8
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	Mine eat algae off the glass. Never seen them harm corals. __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank Last edited by Whisperer; 08/17/2012 at 12:51 PM.

08/16/2012, 11:34 PM	#2
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	If you're overrun it'll take a while for the shrimp to eat all of the stars, a combo of shrimp and siphoning them out when they're on the glass would be my suggestion. When the stars are gone, find someone else with stars to give the shrimp to...

08/17/2012, 09:58 AM	#4
mclevenger10 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Fresno, CA Posts: 165	I also have asterina stars in my tank and was given great advice from a local reefer. He told me to watch the movements of the stars and see where they mostly hang out. I have never seen the stars near my corals, and the ones I do have seem to be alge eaters. I guess I am lucky. But he told me if you see the stars near your coral, then get rid of them. If not don't worry about them, they will help clean your tank

08/17/2012, 10:47 AM	#5
Donkeykong Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Grover Beach CA Posts: 1,847	I got 1 shrimp for my 75g and in 3 months there wasnt an asterina in sight, then I found someone else in my local club that had this problem and passed the shrimp along. It mad its way thru several tanks before finally losing an ill advised fight with an MP40.

08/17/2012, 10:08 PM	#9
nasoisking Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Swartz Creek Michigan Posts: 59	ive never had them eat my corals either, must be different types?

08/17/2012, 11:03 PM	#10
brandon429 Registered Member. Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3,460	Best pic I've seen of an asterina trail

08/17/2012, 11:09 PM	#11
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	There are many species of Asterina starfish. For many years I was skeptical of hobbyists who claimed they were a nuisance, as I only ever had the types that were quite benign. However, I started to get overrun with one type that was clearly eating my corals a year or two ago. It took some time to really know it was the stars, and by the time I realized they wer the problem it was too late. I lost many large colonies of zoanthids, acropora, and lps that were grown from tiny frags before I could think the populations enough for coral growth to outpace munching. It took me fragging declining colonies and moving them to my anemone tank, hooked up to the same system but devoid of starfish, to make me finally figure out the problem. That said, I've been in the hobby for 25+ years and have only just now come across this more troublesome species, or perhaps just several starfish gone rogue, so don't assume that what you have is a pest of a nuisance.