Removing Asterina star fish

[EvanDeVita]

Hi all,
I reccently got my first frags of acropora online, and I found asterina starfish on them. I put the frags into a 5 gallon bucket with a pump and heater. Most of them have climbed off the frags and onto the side of the bucket, but I am worried about adding the frags. Will simple dips kill the starfish? If not what will?

 

[Ron Reefman]

They are typically big enough you can just pick them off.

I don't dip my corals, but I think it should work.

 

[Creggers]

Hi all,
I reccently got my first frags of acropora online, and I found asterina starfish on them. I put the frags into a 5 gallon bucket with a pump and heater. Most of them have climbed off the frags and onto the side of the bucket, but I am worried about adding the frags. Will simple dips kill the starfish? If not what will?

I normally pick these guys off and throw em in my Pico tank. I don't think they lay eggs cause I have yet to see one in my 75 gallon.

 

[Duffer]

Dipping the corals which I do all the time and have found the starfish on them have killed them so go for it

 

[HB AL]

I normally pick these guys off and throw em in my Pico tank. I don't think they lay eggs cause I have yet to see one in my 75 gallon.

They do reproduce somehow as a few years ago i went from seeing quite a few too a full blown infestation within a couple months. All they did was eat all my coraline algae, everything else was fine. Then slowly they started to thin out and now only see a few here and there.

 

[TDEcoral]

They do reproduce somehow as a few years ago i went from seeing quite a few too a full blown infestation within a couple months. All they did was eat all my coraline algae, everything else was fine. Then slowly they started to thin out and now only see a few here and there.

They typically reproduce asexually via fission where the central disc separates in half forming two new starfish. I assume asterina are also capable of sexual reproduction, but I'm not positive and I would guess that it happens infrequently in the home aquarium.

 

[EvanDeVita]

Ok, thanks guys! I’ll remove what i see and then dip

 

[jsker]

Harlequin shrimp works well. You will have to rehome the shrimp after the starfish are gone. The Harlequin will starve unless you have a couple of chocolate chip starts in you sump to feed the shrimp.

 

[CoralNerd]

Those suckers are a eye sore.
Acropora frag or colony. You should be removing snipping off all the frag plug. Then you will be left the coral flesh only to dip.

 

[EvanDeVita]

Those suckers are a eye sore.
Acropora frag or colony. You should be removing snipping off all the frag plug. Then you will be left the coral flesh only to dip.

Yup I always do that. Don’t want anything on that frag I can’t see

 

[EvanDeVita]

Harlequin shrimp works well. You will have to rehome the shrimp after the starfish are gone. The Harlequin will starve unless you have a couple of chocolate chip starts in you sump to feed the shrimp.

I would, but it would be a waste of money. I got 4 frags and there are probably 8 starfish. Ill remove them all and then dip to kill anything else. I will NOT let them into my tank. I also don’t want my sandsifting starfish to get eaten

 

[jsker]

I would, but it would be a waste of money. I got 4 frags and there are probably 8 starfish. Ill remove them all and then dip to kill anything else. I will NOT let them into my tank. I also don’t want my sandsifting starfish to get eaten

LOL, just keep in the back of your mind in case they really start multiplying

 

[EvanDeVita]

LOL, just keep in the back of your mind in case they really start multiplying

It is :). Remember the starfish are not in my tank. The frags are in a bucket atm! If I see them pop up I will use a harlequin

 

[wonroc]

I put them in the garbage disposal.

 

[EvanDeVita]

I put them in the garbage disposal.

The frags?

 

[wonroc]

Stars

The frags?

The hitchiking stars

 

[EvanDeVita]

Stars

The hitchiking stars

Thought so