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Would harlequin shrimp help my asterina problem?


coachfraley

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Hey,

 

I have a problem with corraline munching asterina stars in my 31g. Does anyone know if harlequin shrimp would help control them?

 

Thanks!

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It is unknown whether each individual harlequin will eat asterinas. I have seen some that do, and some that don't. Even if it did, it would probably go through all of them in your tank in 1-2 weeks or less.

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Harlequins are hit or miss, typically miss. We have 3 pairs that don't eat them.

 

Nardoa novaecaledoniae is a reef safe seastar that will consume Asterina stars. They are typically called "Peach Tip Nardoa" by LFSs (and QM). Much like Linckias these guys will need quite a bit of mature live rock to graze from once they are done consuming the stars.

 

Nardoa.jpg

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I will look for that star, but if not, I will probably try a harlequin. I am REALLY sick of the asterinas. I would probably just take the shrimp back to my LFS once the stars were wiped out.

 

Do harlequins pose a problem to anything else in a reef tank?

 

My livestock is:

 

2 skunk shrimps

pair of clowns

royal gramma

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The Harlequin may not eat the asterinas right off the bat either. You may have to introduce them to him so that he realizes that they are there.

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I'm doing this exact thing right now. You MUST be sure that the shrimp you choose will eat astrinas. The LFS I bought mine from will give me 1/2 credit for returning it after they are under control. $20 seems like a good price for coralline again.

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I'm doing this exact thing right now. You MUST be sure that the shrimp you choose will eat astrinas. The LFS I bought mine from will give me 1/2 credit for returning it after they are under control. $20 seems like a good price for coralline again.

 

 

Good Idea!! My LFS owner is cool, I bet he will do it.

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It is unlikely that your skunk cleaner shrimp and harlequins will get along. Even if they do, why buy obligate seastar eating shrimp to solve a problem that has a better solution?

 

Nardoa novaecaledoniae WILL consume the Asterinas, and will not need special feeding or to be caught up and returned to the LFS afterwards. They are not terribly difficult to find, either. QM has 3 of them right now so if your LFS has an account with them they can order them.

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It is unlikely that your skunk cleaner shrimp and harlequins will get along. Even if they do, why buy obligate seastar eating shrimp to solve a problem that has a better solution?

 

Nardoa novaecaledoniae WILL consume the Asterinas, and will not need special feeding or to be caught up and returned to the LFS afterwards. They are not terribly difficult to find, either. QM has 3 of them right now so if your LFS has an account with them they can order them.

 

I will ask about them. I assumed they were very hard to find, due to limited amount of info. on them.

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I've heard you can shine a light on the sandbed at night and the astrea will come to the light and you can pick them off as they come out of the rock work.

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I've heard you can shine a light on the sandbed at night and the astrea will come to the light and you can pick them off as they come out of the rock work.

 

WAY too many to control by hand.

 

I am having trouble locating a peach nardoa. Are there any other stars that east asterinas?????

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Your trying to kill a valuable member of your CUC. Dont buy into what is assumed about asternias. They are as good for your tank as micro brittles.

 

Asternias are way over rated, they dont do any noticable damage to coralline and I have never seen them injure a zoanthid, I have had them in my tanks for almost 3 years. At this point, I would love it if they would eat the coralline, it becomes a PITA eventually.

 

I like them because they reproduce, along with stomatellas and micro brittles. The only clean up crew I buy are hermits.

 

Blue linckias will also eat them, but when I had mine it never erradicated the population.

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Your trying to kill a valuable member of your CUC. Dont buy into what is assumed about asternias. They are as good for your tank as micro brittles.

 

Asternias are way over rated, they dont do any noticable damage to coralline and I have never seen them injure a zoanthid, I have had them in my tanks for almost 3 years. At this point, I would love it if they would eat the coralline, it becomes a PITA eventually.

 

I like them because they reproduce, along with stomatellas and micro brittles. The only clean up crew I buy are hermits.

 

Blue linckias will also eat them, but when I had mine it never erradicated the population.

 

My rocks went from being a nice purple to practically white. I have a PLAUGE of these guys, so I would at least like to control their population. There are literally 30-40 visible at a time, and I have a small tank.

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Atlantis Reef

ditto to crystal I have had them for well over 10 years and have had ZERO bad effects on my reef or should I say reefs since I have 3 tank set up hehe Hey Crystal wee need to hook up and do some farg trading

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I have atleast that many, if not more, and maintain a dozen other tanks with them to. They just dont do that.

 

That isnt why your rocks turned white. Eventually, if you are doing things right your rocks will be covered in coral anyway.

 

Are you dosing ca/alk?

 

Hey Crystal wee need to hook up and do some farg trading

 

No doubt!

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I have atleast that many, if not more, and maintain a dozen other tanks with them to. They just dont do that.

 

That isnt why your rocks turned white. Eventually, if you are doing things right your rocks will be covered in coral anyway.

 

I think if you saw my tank, and some of my "evidence" you might change your mind about my variety of asterinas. I think that most of them do not eat corraline, but I am almost certain that the variety in my tank do. It is a little hard to see in the picture that I provided, but in person, you can literally see the trails as they munch there way through my corraline. Also, every time I pry one off. There is a asterina shaped hole in the corraline.

 

asterinaeats.jpg

 

BTW, I dose 2 part once a week to maintain my levels. My digitata's and monti. grow like crazy, so I do not have CA issues.

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wow that is a cool shrimp i also have a boat load of asterina stars but i don think they are doing any damage in fact they are in my back filter chambers on my rsm and i think they keep things pretty clean back there sometimes they are a pia when they crowd up on the intake grate and block flow but i think they are great to have and they look so cool at night with the moonlights on they look like stars in the sky on my bacl wall

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I had a harlequin that loved asterinas, I would drop them in on one side adn watch him slowly run over to them to scoop them up. it was pretty funny to watch, he was so anxious, yet so slow.

IMG_0066.jpg

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