Mini starfish problems

dahc1979 · 10/07/2009, 07:40 AM

Ok they started out a few here and I never thought anything about them, but now my daughter and I counted at least 50 of them last night. They are all over some of my corals and have prevented some of my zoas from opening and my cabbage leather now looks like spotted leather. Should I just wait this out? Should I just start pulling them out of my tank? Is there anything that is reef safe that I could put in there to eat them? Any suggestions would help at this point.

snorvich · 10/07/2009, 08:00 AM

Harlequin shrimp will eat them (asterinas) and eventually clean them out.

dahc1979 · 10/07/2009, 08:13 AM

I forgot to mention that I have a very large brittle starfish that I like. Would a harlequin shrimp eat him too? I could move him out of the tank temporally, but I dont really want to get rid of him.

sra127 · 10/07/2009, 09:23 AM

harlequin will eat any starfish it can get its claws on. only prob, once your out of starfish your harlequin will starve (its all they eat). look on your local club to see if they have one you can borrow for a few weeks

LobsterOfJustice · 10/07/2009, 10:29 AM

are these the asterina mini-stars, or the mini brittles?

Harlequins will not eat brittle/serpent type stars.

ludnix · 10/07/2009, 11:46 AM

I would wait it out. The stars do not like to sit on corals unless there is something to eat, so that should go away as your algae starts to disappear.

dahc1979 · 10/07/2009, 11:48 AM

As far as I know they are asterina mini-stars, and they are in full force right now. I have never seen an outbreak like this in my tank. I have not added anything new other then a few frags here and there. I will be looking into a harlequin shrimp this weekend when I go to the lfs

myzislow · 10/07/2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ludnix

I would wait it out. The stars do not like to sit on corals unless there is something to eat, so that should go away as your algae starts to disappear.

Not true, I have predatory asterinas that are slowly wiping out all of my zonathids.

dahc1979 · 10/07/2009, 11:57 AM

Thats the main problem they are sitting on my zoas and they are not opening. I will post a few pics of them when I get home from work to show them sitting all over my leather coral too.

bubbly · 10/07/2009, 12:06 PM

if they are sitting on your zoas and leather coral, then it definitely sounds like they are a predatory species.

I would definitely start pulling them out manually from your tank -- they are slow moving and easy to spot, and I am sure that with a turkey baster you can get most of them pretty quickly, and just keep an eye out for any others.

10/07/2009, 07:40 AM	#1
dahc1979 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Rock Island Posts: 78	Mini starfish problems Ok they started out a few here and I never thought anything about them, but now my daughter and I counted at least 50 of them last night. They are all over some of my corals and have prevented some of my zoas from opening and my cabbage leather now looks like spotted leather. Should I just wait this out? Should I just start pulling them out of my tank? Is there anything that is reef safe that I could put in there to eat them? Any suggestions would help at this point.

10/07/2009, 08:00 AM	#2
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	Harlequin shrimp will eat them (asterinas) and eventually clean them out. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

10/07/2009, 10:29 AM	#5
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	are these the asterina mini-stars, or the mini brittles? Harlequins will not eat brittle/serpent type stars. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

10/07/2009, 11:46 AM	#6
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	I would wait it out. The stars do not like to sit on corals unless there is something to eat, so that should go away as your algae starts to disappear. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

10/07/2009, 08:13 AM	#3
dahc1979 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Rock Island Posts: 78	I forgot to mention that I have a very large brittle starfish that I like. Would a harlequin shrimp eat him too? I could move him out of the tank temporally, but I dont really want to get rid of him.

10/07/2009, 09:23 AM	#4
sra127 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Pembroke Pines, Fl Posts: 673	harlequin will eat any starfish it can get its claws on. only prob, once your out of starfish your harlequin will starve (its all they eat). look on your local club to see if they have one you can borrow for a few weeks

10/07/2009, 11:48 AM	#7
dahc1979 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Rock Island Posts: 78	As far as I know they are asterina mini-stars, and they are in full force right now. I have never seen an outbreak like this in my tank. I have not added anything new other then a few frags here and there. I will be looking into a harlequin shrimp this weekend when I go to the lfs

10/07/2009, 11:57 AM	#9
dahc1979 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Rock Island Posts: 78	Thats the main problem they are sitting on my zoas and they are not opening. I will post a few pics of them when I get home from work to show them sitting all over my leather coral too.

10/07/2009, 12:06 PM	#10
bubbly Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 331	if they are sitting on your zoas and leather coral, then it definitely sounds like they are a predatory species. I would definitely start pulling them out manually from your tank -- they are slow moving and easy to spot, and I am sure that with a turkey baster you can get most of them pretty quickly, and just keep an eye out for any others.