Pest Starfish

reefgeezer · 11/30/2013, 01:33 PM

I have an issue and need some advice. I have a bunch of small starfish that hang out mostly on the rock, and sometimes on the glass. For a while now, I've had trouble growing coralline, and when I blow off the rocks, I get a "dust" that can't be explained by detritus build-up.

I think those little starfish are eating coralline and maybe even other stuff in the rock and would like to get rid of them. Does anyone know a good way to do that? Thanks in advance for the advice.

cloak · 11/30/2013, 01:41 PM

Without a picture, I'm guessing asterina starfish. manual removal is probably your best bet.

Check this out.

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....efkeeping-101-

Beandawg · 11/30/2013, 03:09 PM

Harlequin shrimp!

reefgeezer · 11/30/2013, 03:56 PM

Outstanding! An excuse to buy a cool looking shrimp... maybe two. Thanks for the advice and the link.

SOS · 11/30/2013, 05:16 PM

I'm sorry but IMO any "dust" on your rock or lack of coraline growth has nothing to do with mini starfish. Your tank is a closed environment with lots of water flow blowing particles around constantly. Your rock is never going to be "dust free". I have 2 types of small starfish in my tank and in the 7 years it's been running I've never seen starfish do any harm.

R.ahlskog · 11/30/2013, 05:56 PM

Just a heads up I've heard that they have been blamed for eating sps. If you have any watch it.

reefgeezer · 11/30/2013, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SOS

I'm sorry but IMO any "dust" on your rock or lack of coraline growth has nothing to do with mini starfish. Your tank is a closed environment with lots of water flow blowing particles around constantly. Your rock is never going to be "dust free". I have 2 types of small starfish in my tank and in the 7 years it's been running I've never seen starfish do any harm.

Thanks for the input. I've had them in my system for years also. Lately however, they've really exploded. I've also been maintaining the same rock for years and know about how much "dust" normally collects. The amount of I'm seeing doesn't seem normal. And... I can tell the wife I need to buy a cool shrimp!

robotman · 11/30/2013, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefgeezer

Thanks for the input. I've had them in my system for years also. Lately however, they've really exploded. I've also been maintaining the same rock for years and know about how much "dust" normally collects. The amount of I'm seeing doesn't seem normal. And... I can tell the wife I need to buy a cool shrimp!

careful with harelquin shrimps, they wont last if you dont constantly buy starfish to feed them and will eventuall die.

Joe · 11/30/2013, 07:57 PM

I've had first-hand experience with the Asterina starfish. I believe there are many kinds of this type if starfish. I had hundreds in my 120, and they ate my expensive zoas, SPS, and most anything that couldn't move out of the way. I had to syphon all I could see at every water change. Population control is a must.

Joe

Lateralus · 12/01/2013, 01:53 AM

Anytime I see one it goes to the sump.

jkcoon · 12/01/2013, 05:23 PM

I had a bad asterina star breakout last year, seemed to go from a few to many hundreds (maybe thousands) in a couple/few months. I noticed they were consuming my coralline algae at an amazing rate... Little white dots everywhere.

I bought a harlequin and let him work his magic for a while... A few months later, I bought a second harlequin wanting quicker results; the two of them wiped the tank nearly clean of asterina stars very quickly. I now feed a chocolate chips star to each shrimp (one is now in my fuge) about every 4-6 weeks... If you go with the harlequins, please understand they will eradicate the stars quickly and you will have to supply another form of star in their place... Very cool shrimp though.

fermentedhiker · 12/01/2013, 07:21 PM

Wouldn't a bumble bee shrimp be a better choice? They prefer to eat star fish, but don't require it. Just a thought.

Beandawg · 12/01/2013, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fermentedhiker

Wouldn't a bumble bee shrimp be a better choice? They prefer to eat star fish, but don't require it. Just a thought.

never heard of it!

fermentedhiker · 12/01/2013, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beandawg

never heard of it!

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...69&pcatid=1969

Beandawg · 12/01/2013, 08:35 PM

Cool! Learn something new everyday.

Calappidae · 01/17/2014, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fermentedhiker

Wouldn't a bumble bee shrimp be a better choice? They prefer to eat star fish, but don't require it. Just a thought.

The bumblebee shrimp stay really small becoming food to even some gobies. They're also much slower and the asterinas would breed too rapidly. In a small nano with nothing in it and there happened to be 5 or so asterinas then bb shrimp would probably do the job but not in a large system with hundreds of them.

11/30/2013, 01:33 PM	#1
reefgeezer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 2,621	Pest Starfish I have an issue and need some advice. I have a bunch of small starfish that hang out mostly on the rock, and sometimes on the glass. For a while now, I've had trouble growing coralline, and when I blow off the rocks, I get a "dust" that can't be explained by detritus build-up. I think those little starfish are eating coralline and maybe even other stuff in the rock and would like to get rid of them. Does anyone know a good way to do that? Thanks in advance for the advice. __________________ John, Current Tank Info: In-process, 90 Gallon SPS Reef

11/30/2013, 03:56 PM	#4
reefgeezer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 2,621	Outstanding! An excuse to buy a cool looking shrimp... maybe two. Thanks for the advice and the link. __________________ John, Current Tank Info: In-process, 90 Gallon SPS Reef

11/30/2013, 07:57 PM	#9
Joe Registered Member Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Amish Country, PA. USA Posts: 978	I've had first-hand experience with the Asterina starfish. I believe there are many kinds of this type if starfish. I had hundreds in my 120, and they ate my expensive zoas, SPS, and most anything that couldn't move out of the way. I had to syphon all I could see at every water change. Population control is a must. Joe __________________ I put the laughter in slaughter. Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Oceanic Tech Tank, Two MP40W Gen 2 Vortechs, H & S A-150-F2001 External Skimmer, Oceanic Model 3 Sump, Current Outer Orbit Pro 250 Watt MH/T5 Combo

12/01/2013, 01:53 AM	#10
Lateralus Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: St. Charles mo. Posts: 756	Anytime I see one it goes to the sump. __________________ Mike Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef/ 40 gal sump. Born on 5/30/13.

11/30/2013, 01:41 PM	#2
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Without a picture, I'm guessing asterina starfish. manual removal is probably your best bet. Check this out. http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index....efkeeping-101-

11/30/2013, 03:09 PM	#3
Beandawg I see whatchu did there. Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Central CT Posts: 666	Harlequin shrimp!

11/30/2013, 05:16 PM	#5
SOS Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Vancouver BC Posts: 197	I'm sorry but IMO any "dust" on your rock or lack of coraline growth has nothing to do with mini starfish. Your tank is a closed environment with lots of water flow blowing particles around constantly. Your rock is never going to be "dust free". I have 2 types of small starfish in my tank and in the 7 years it's been running I've never seen starfish do any harm.

11/30/2013, 05:56 PM	#6
R.ahlskog Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Edmonton Posts: 50	Just a heads up I've heard that they have been blamed for eating sps. If you have any watch it.

12/01/2013, 05:23 PM	#11
jkcoon Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Missouri - KC area Posts: 218	I had a bad asterina star breakout last year, seemed to go from a few to many hundreds (maybe thousands) in a couple/few months. I noticed they were consuming my coralline algae at an amazing rate... Little white dots everywhere. I bought a harlequin and let him work his magic for a while... A few months later, I bought a second harlequin wanting quicker results; the two of them wiped the tank nearly clean of asterina stars very quickly. I now feed a chocolate chips star to each shrimp (one is now in my fuge) about every 4-6 weeks... If you go with the harlequins, please understand they will eradicate the stars quickly and you will have to supply another form of star in their place... Very cool shrimp though.

12/01/2013, 07:21 PM	#12
fermentedhiker Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Maine Posts: 382	Wouldn't a bumble bee shrimp be a better choice? They prefer to eat star fish, but don't require it. Just a thought.

12/01/2013, 08:35 PM	#15
Beandawg I see whatchu did there. Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Central CT Posts: 666	Cool! Learn something new everyday.