Natural predator wanted!

[Delmarr]

My 4 year old 65 gal reef tank has developed a population of spegetti worms and small white starfish that are getting out of control. The spegetti worms cover every inch of my sand bed and I counted 124 starfish this morning. I was wondering if anyone new of a reef safe critter that would feed on one or both of these populations. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks all

Delmarr

 

[Anonymous]

Not off the top of my head - maybe a sand sifting starfish. Why dont you bag some up and sell them as detrivore kits on ebay - both of these species are highly , highly beneficial for a healthy sandbed and most people would love to have your problem.

 

[danmhippo]

Ditto to the above, and sand sifting sleeper goby also popped into my mind.

 

[LauraH]

Better yet, see if you can trade some of your sand for some new sand from a LFS. Heck, if I lived close to you, I'd buy some of it.

 

[panmanmatt]

Delmarr e-mail me if your interested in getting rid of some of your sand. I too live in Jersey,Ocean County to be exact.

 

[dizzy]

A pistol shrimp and goby should take take of the turbellid worm problem. I had a tiger pistol and randal goby pair that cleaned up the sandbed in one of my tanks. The shrimp would unearth the worms with his contant digging and the goby enjoyed the free meal. You might try an arrow crab for the stars. If your coraline algae gets out of control try a diadema urchin.

 

[Anonymous]

I say leave them...what are they going to hurt?

You can try a sand sifting star, and it will certainly decimate any and all life in your sandbed, but why would you want to do that?

 

[hillbilly]

I read somewhere that some of those small stars
that just "show" up and start repoducing like mad
can be predatory in reefs. Might be a good idea
to watch closely for any damage.

 

[WRASSER]

delmarr,
How's the weather? While I was diving in Jupiter, Fl., I caught a very large arrowhead crab. I visit Hollywood Beach, Fl. often, I go there during high tide to shake the seaweed to catch small crustaceans and fish to feed my tank. I caught a baby crab and put it in my 150 with the arrowhead. The crab swam down and touched the arrowheads leg, the arrowhead picked it up like a bigmac and ate him! So a nice size arrowhead will help erraticate your problem.
I have four urchins (three different kinds) in my 150. They are a wonderful site to watch and help keep the algae down. Urchins are hardy group. Don't worry about them dying til they die.They eat almost everything.
Hermit crabs are another option for your solution to your problem. They eat everything!


Good Luck


Wrasser 8)

 

[Anonymous]

Well, a harlequin shrimp will almost certainly eat all your stars. I believe the ones you're talking about are in the genus Asterina. There is also a reef safe starfish in the genus Nordoa that is predatory on Asterina stars.

I thought at first that you were talking about the tiny brittle stars everyone has. Asterina stars have never really been shown to be non reef safe, but people have their suspicions. I prefer to leave them be.

 

[Anonymous]

I had a lot of those star when I got a pair of harlequin shrimp- many hundreds- the shrimp at them all in a week or two. I would just spend an hour or so every so often and pick them of the glass- you will lower their population soon enough.

The worm population is a reflection of how much you are feeding the tank. But I wouldn't want to get rid of them if I were you...