Chocolate chip sea star trouble

[ScienceRulez]

I am a victim of my own success. After 2 years the chocolate chip sea stars in the tank here have started eating my hermit crabs. I talked to the LFS and they don't want them, most of their customer base is into reef tanks. Is there some way I can protect the hermit crabs? I've gone from 13 down to 2 over the last several weeks. HELP!

[dweber618]

Put them in your sump?

[GimpyFin]

The knobbed stars like chocolate chip and red knob will eventually start going after inverts and possibly corals, so they're generally not suited for reef tanks. You'll probably need to relocate them or it will continue to happen.

[MondoBongo]

find someone with a harlequin shrimp. i'm sure they will gladly take them off your hands. i'm constantly trying to track down enough CCS to keep my Harley fed.

[JWClark]

Originally Posted by MondoBongo

find someone with a harlequin shrimp. i'm sure they will gladly take them off your hands. i'm constantly trying to track down enough CCS to keep my Harley fed.

That would be my suggestion. I have a CC star I bought for my harlequin but he must have been too big or something. The harlequin would sit on top but was never able to get started on the tube feet. He ate smaller ones no problem, just something about this guy. He now resides in my macro tank. Some day I will get rid of him I suppose.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by GimpyFin

The knobbed stars like chocolate chip and red knob will eventually start going after inverts and possibly corals, so they're generally not suited for reef tanks. You'll probably need to relocate them or it will continue to happen.

Agreed. Which is why folks don't buy them except to feed Harlequins.

[sde1500]

Or introduce a harlequin to the tank and play host to the all out inter-reef tank invert war.

[ScienceRulez]

The largest one from tip to tip is about 6 inches, and the others aren't much smaller. The tank I have isn't a reef, although it does have a leather that they leave alone. I guess they don't like the taste.

We get them because we run the tank as a touch tank and the kids absolutely love them. Like I said I am a victim of my own success. Until I took over and found this forum, we would lose all our CCS within a month of purchasing them, these are over a year old now.

I wonder if they would eat aiptasia?....

[aznflyfisherman]

I throw my choco star fish in my sump n hes doing great there..he was eating my zoas n plopys..he was fine for over a year until he got big..if u have macro alge.. He might start eating those n kill it..

[MondoBongo]

If you do put him in the sump make sure your pump inlets are covered. I lost a couple of mine when they decided to stick arms in to my skimmer and return pumps.