HELP! Asterina

[whispers]

I just did a fresh water dip on some of my frags and small rocks and found about 8 small asterina....whats the best way to get rid of them, there's noway i can do a fresh dip to all my rock.do Harlequin shrimp work? i have two peppermint shrimp in my tank

 

[andylee]

Are they that bad?

 

[fishman1069]

A Harlequin shrimp would definitely work and it won't mess with the peppermint shrimp

 

[Jim]

Harlequin's diet are only starfish. If you don't have a lot of asterina's, you will have to feed it starfish.

 

[Awibrandy]

Absolutely Harlequin Shrimp will take on the asterina starfish! Just be prepared to buy, and feed other starfish (such as chocolate chip starfish) to your Harley once it is done with all the asterinas in your tank. That is all the Harley eats, and no you cannot keep the cc starfish in you tank because it will eat your corals.

 

[whispers]

I have a fish only tank as well I use to have a chocolate chip star I can keep it in there .. Now I just have to find the harlequins

 

[jcs11236]

Just keep pickin them out. It took me months but they are all gone. Everytime I saw one, I would grab a toothpick and stick them out

 

[Master Shake]

they arent bad just calm down

 

[whispers]

They aren't bad? There bothering my zoas

 

[KathyC]

Certain asterias eat zoas, if that is the type you have, then yes, IMO you want to get a harley asap.

The plain beige ones usually don't bother zoas. It is the smaller asterinas that have blueish or greenish coloring to them that are the problem ones.

 

[whispers]

They were small white and on the other side the looked greenish almost like green algae

 

[KathyC]

They were small white and on the other side the looked greenish almost like green algae

Yep, you need a harley

 

[whispers]

On hold, Getting a pair tomorrow thanks Kathy

 

[KathyC]

On hold, Getting a pair tomorrow thanks Kathy

Excellent
Two things...make sure they are a M/F pair or they will try to kill each other. One should have markings on it's belly - the other should not.

As mentioned upthread - after they polish off your asterinas they will need to be fed, usually Chocolate Chip Stars are the food of choice (cheap). If you have a sump that you can put the CC star in - some people (who have the stomach for it...) just cut off 1 leg at a time to feed the Harleys..:eat:

Good luck with them, they are very social, very interesting little critters even if you arent trying to wipe out a troublesome asterina population

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

All asterinas will eat zoas I have witnessed several different varieties do it. I would just get 1 harley if you don't have an over whelming population.

 

[skene]

All asterinas will eat zoas I have witnessed several different varieties do it. I would just get 1 harley if you don't have an over whelming population.

Yes asterinas will eat zoas... however most will not bother with them unless the zoas are stressed and dying. So partially you are right. However not entirely.
Starfish are scavengers and will eat anything dying and decaying.

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Not true I have seen them on top of huge extremely healthy polyps.

 

[whispers]

The pair of Harleys holding down the fort

 

[whispers]

Already eating yes that a star in his mouth