Another Starfish

[Joeysmissy]

i seem to have alot more living in my tank then i realized...I found this starfish..there are a whole lot of them on my rocks and back glass...this one has a greenish gray color on the top part of his body...good or bad? and what kind of star is it?

 

[d2mini]

Asterina Starfish. Ok in small numbers but can become a pest. Some eat zoas and probably some other soft corals.
Harlequin shrimp love to eat these.

 

[meshman10]

yep, aterina's, I use to pick 40 to 50 out a day till the HARLIQUIN, problem gone..

 

[Joeysmissy]

would a harlequin be aggressive towards my cleaner shrimp, cardinal fish or coral?

 

[SeaBee]

Yup, I had like 14,000 of those things, until the Harlequin came to town......

The harlequin only eats stars, even the cool Lecia ones.....

If you do get a Halequin after the astrias are all gone he will ned to be fed, star fish.

 

[ErinCahir]

I wouldn't recommend a harlequin unless you have TONS of asterinas. I have some in my tank, but I've never had an issue with them.
And like SeaBee said, you will need to feed the harlequin starfish after the asterinas are gone.

 

[SeaBee]

I wouldn't recommend a harlequin unless you have TONS of asterinas. I have some in my tank, but I've never had an issue with them.
And like SeaBee said, you will need to feed the harlequin starfish after the asterinas are gone.

I think in a month he may have tons!!!! They muliply like crazy, and keep coming.

I would say pick out the ones you see until you feel overwhelmed, then call in the heavy artillary.....

 

[ErinCahir]

I've had a handful since day one... two years lateral I've never had a problem with them...

 

[Bifferwine]

I have a bazillion asterina stars in my system too. I am pretty sure they are responsible for eating some of my nice zoas. Other than that, I can't say that they have touched anything but algae.