how to kill small white star fish

dh2595 · 08/22/2009, 07:28 AM

just wondering what to use or what type off animal to yous have way to many all off a sudden need to go thanks

mapleredta · 08/22/2009, 08:36 AM

harlequin shrimp eat star fish, not sure if they would eat the little white ones that are on your glass or not. I would just start picking them off the glass and tossing them in the toilet or something. They're not fast movers by no means. I always thought they were beneficial to a tank.

zachslow · 08/22/2009, 09:01 AM

this is a question i'm interested in too. does anyone know if a harlequin shrimp will in fact eat them?

username in use · 08/22/2009, 09:05 AM

I know someone who keeps some harlequins in their frag tank, and just picks the little white starfish out of the display every now and then, and throws them into the frag tank to feed the harly's.

snorvich · 08/22/2009, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by zachslow
this is a question i'm interested in too. does anyone know if a harlequin shrimp will in fact eat them?

They sure do and will totally clean asterinas from your tank. After which, you will need to give them star fish legs since that is all they will eat.

dh2595 · 08/22/2009, 09:09 AM

i have been told that but have had no luck finding any just was wondering about any type of wrasse i have way to many to pick out in the last month it seems like i got hundreds i pick of and throw away but ill never get them gone thanks

username in use · 08/22/2009, 09:12 AM

I think that if you put in a wrasse that eats starfish, you may as well kiss all your other inverts goodbye.

zachslow · 08/22/2009, 09:18 AM

would a 120 gallon tank with lots of asterinas be able to support a harlequin? or do you think it would ultimately perish?

dh2595 · 08/22/2009, 09:30 AM

will the harlequin eat the whole little star fish i have little white ones and little blue ones also way to many thanks

LobsterOfJustice · 08/22/2009, 10:02 AM

Yes harlequins will eat the little starfish. But once they go through those (and yes, they will) you need to either find a new home for them or get them other stars to eat.

Ian · 08/22/2009, 10:16 AM

Just siphon them out...

cakemanPA · 08/22/2009, 10:19 AM

If you get an over abundance of Asterinas, pull some out. They are good thing to have in a reef tank though. I put some in my FOWLR tank and my wrasse works them over fast

mullinsd2 · 08/22/2009, 10:44 AM

Man I have only viewed one strfish in my tank and it was excitig for me. Never thought they'd be viewed as pests.

luther1200 · 08/22/2009, 11:15 AM

They can get to the point where they are everywere. I had a ton of them in my 65. So I got a HS and he wiped them out in a month or 2, maybe faster I don't remember. But it wasn't a really long time I know that much.

dh2595 · 08/22/2009, 02:00 PM

how fast will they eat them i got one today just wondered how fast thanks

Cracken · 08/22/2009, 02:02 PM

hey what r the little blue ones?

Do u mean a blue linkia/

dh2595 · 08/22/2009, 04:31 PM

they look just like the white ones deep blue

Moonstream · 08/22/2009, 04:35 PM

they're releated to the whites, but Ive heard the blues are the ones that eat coral, whites are harmless though, IME.

ROLLINS240Z · 08/22/2009, 05:37 PM

I have the little white ones, and they can grow to be pretty big. I have had a few about the size of a quarter, I barley see them and one time a big one was eating the base of one of my policipora corals. I now get rid of the big ones when I see them.

briangg57 · 08/22/2009, 09:46 PM

When I turn my lights out for a couple hours and then shine a flashlight in the tank, I see hundreds. They are hardly out during the day and cause no harm. The only way that I know that they are there is by the lack of algae on the glass. I'm keeping mine.

Big E · 08/23/2009, 06:18 AM

If those stars get to plague proportions they will eat all your coralline in fast order. Siphoning won't put a dent in them. That's when you have to resort to Harlequins. Just be responsible enough to keep it fed or find a home for it so it can survive long term.

The times I've seen population explosions is when there weren't other grazers for the stars to compete with.

augustasalty · 08/23/2009, 07:41 AM

harlequins. if you want to keep these shrimp long term, throw a couple chocolate chip stars in your sump, take a leg from one, then the other and they will regrow them, if you rotate them like that, by the time you harvest the tenth leg, the first will be regrown.

ludnix · 08/23/2009, 07:56 AM

I allow my asteriina star population to go unchecked. I have never seen one eat coral or coralline and at worst you can always pop them off the glass with a mag-float. They usually will balance out after their food source starts to diminish.

LobsterOfJustice · 08/23/2009, 10:34 AM

I had them for about 4 years no problems. Then I must have introduced the bad kind, because they ate SPS. Added a harlequin - a few weeks later, no more coral issues

. Passed it on to a friend, then he's going to give it back to the store.

08/22/2009, 07:28 AM	#1
dh2595 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: avon Posts: 220	how to kill small white star fish just wondering what to use or what type off animal to yous have way to many all off a sudden need to go thanks

08/22/2009, 09:05 AM	#4
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	I know someone who keeps some harlequins in their frag tank, and just picks the little white starfish out of the display every now and then, and throws them into the frag tank to feed the harly's. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

08/22/2009, 09:12 AM	#7
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	I think that if you put in a wrasse that eats starfish, you may as well kiss all your other inverts goodbye. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

08/22/2009, 10:02 AM	#10
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Yes harlequins will eat the little starfish. But once they go through those (and yes, they will) you need to either find a new home for them or get them other stars to eat. __________________ 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

08/22/2009, 11:15 AM	#14
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	They can get to the point where they are everywere. I had a ton of them in my 65. So I got a HS and he wiped them out in a month or 2, maybe faster I don't remember. But it wasn't a really long time I know that much. __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

08/22/2009, 08:36 AM	#2
mapleredta Reef addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Cochran, Georgia Posts: 387	harlequin shrimp eat star fish, not sure if they would eat the little white ones that are on your glass or not. I would just start picking them off the glass and tossing them in the toilet or something. They're not fast movers by no means. I always thought they were beneficial to a tank.

08/22/2009, 09:01 AM	#3
zachslow Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: san francisco, ca Posts: 153	this is a question i'm interested in too. does anyone know if a harlequin shrimp will in fact eat them?

08/22/2009, 09:09 AM	#6
dh2595 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: avon Posts: 220	i have been told that but have had no luck finding any just was wondering about any type of wrasse i have way to many to pick out in the last month it seems like i got hundreds i pick of and throw away but ill never get them gone thanks

08/22/2009, 09:18 AM	#8
zachslow Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: san francisco, ca Posts: 153	would a 120 gallon tank with lots of asterinas be able to support a harlequin? or do you think it would ultimately perish?

08/22/2009, 09:30 AM	#9
dh2595 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: avon Posts: 220	will the harlequin eat the whole little star fish i have little white ones and little blue ones also way to many thanks

08/22/2009, 10:16 AM	#11
Ian I <3 Corals! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, Ca Posts: 4,555	Just siphon them out...

08/22/2009, 10:19 AM	#12
cakemanPA Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hummelstown, PA Posts: 2,353	If you get an over abundance of Asterinas, pull some out. They are good thing to have in a reef tank though. I put some in my FOWLR tank and my wrasse works them over fast

08/22/2009, 10:44 AM	#13
mullinsd2 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 753	Man I have only viewed one strfish in my tank and it was excitig for me. Never thought they'd be viewed as pests.

08/22/2009, 02:00 PM	#15
dh2595 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: avon Posts: 220	how fast will they eat them i got one today just wondered how fast thanks

08/22/2009, 02:02 PM	#16
Cracken Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 306	hey what r the little blue ones? Do u mean a blue linkia/

08/22/2009, 04:31 PM	#17
dh2595 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: avon Posts: 220	they look just like the white ones deep blue

08/22/2009, 04:35 PM	#18
Moonstream Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 2,581	they're releated to the whites, but Ive heard the blues are the ones that eat coral, whites are harmless though, IME.

08/22/2009, 05:37 PM	#19
ROLLINS240Z Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chico CA Posts: 155	I have the little white ones, and they can grow to be pretty big. I have had a few about the size of a quarter, I barley see them and one time a big one was eating the base of one of my policipora corals. I now get rid of the big ones when I see them. __________________ 60 Gallon Cube -- Sump. w/ refug. & Frag Tank -- 2 Tunze 6055's w/ multicontroller-- RKE Controller -- Aqua C EV180 Skimmer -- Check out my tank http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1858889

08/22/2009, 09:46 PM	#20
briangg57 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 634	When I turn my lights out for a couple hours and then shine a flashlight in the tank, I see hundreds. They are hardly out during the day and cause no harm. The only way that I know that they are there is by the lack of algae on the glass. I'm keeping mine. __________________ Ain't like goin down to the pond, cetching bluegills and tommy cats. Current Tank Info: 75 gal.,20 gal. sump with wet-dry, also run carbon,75 to 100lbs live rock. 3&1/2 inch sand bed, 390 Watts PC. lighting and loving it!!!

08/23/2009, 06:18 AM	#21
Big E Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: South Euclid, OH Posts: 4,281	If those stars get to plague proportions they will eat all your coralline in fast order. Siphoning won't put a dent in them. That's when you have to resort to Harlequins. Just be responsible enough to keep it fed or find a home for it so it can survive long term. The times I've seen population explosions is when there weren't other grazers for the stars to compete with. __________________ 80g Rimless Acropora System reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197142&page=31 Ed

08/23/2009, 07:41 AM	#22
augustasalty Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Augusta, GA Posts: 80	harlequins. if you want to keep these shrimp long term, throw a couple chocolate chip stars in your sump, take a leg from one, then the other and they will regrow them, if you rotate them like that, by the time you harvest the tenth leg, the first will be regrown.

08/23/2009, 07:56 AM	#23
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	I allow my asteriina star population to go unchecked. I have never seen one eat coral or coralline and at worst you can always pop them off the glass with a mag-float. They usually will balance out after their food source starts to diminish. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

08/23/2009, 10:34 AM	#24
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	I had them for about 4 years no problems. Then I must have introduced the bad kind, because they ate SPS. Added a harlequin - a few weeks later, no more coral issues . Passed it on to a friend, then he's going to give it back to the store. __________________ 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