Harlequin Shrimp - Info wanted

[seti2020]

Interested in getting a Harlequin Shrimp for my nano (oceanic 8). No fish, just corals (soft, mushrooms, zoo's) and hermit crabs.

I would like to know how difficult these shrimp are to keep (specifically feed) and whether they attack anything else besides starfish in a tank. + any other details about these shrimp

 

[LeslieH]

They're only aggressive towards other same sex harlequins. In nature they're found as solitary individuals or mated pairs. Here's some info from Marine Depot: "General notes: The Harlequin Shrimp likes aquariums that are moderately lit. Dining on echinoderms, primarily starfish, it may also pick at urchins. Will eat most Linckia species, the Harlequin shrimp tends to leave Fromia sp. alone unless it is very hungry and it's the only type of starfish in the tank. Keeping several starfish in the tank will enable a careful Harlequin shrimp to tend to it's 'herd' and only eat the starfish bit by bit. This enables the starfish to go free and heal as the Harlequin selects a different seastar. Harlequin shrimp are very good choices for ridding your tank of the unevened Asterina stars (Asterina stars are corraline eating starfish with 3 - 5 uneven legs)."

I think using Linckia as food is a terrible idea. They're very susceptible to transport stress and I've heard estimates of 9 dead for every one arriving in a LFS. Using chocolate chips is much better & asterinids are better still. Harlequins are also getting overfished in some areas which is a shame. They're one of the few animals that will eat crown of thorns starfish which prey on coral reefs.

 

[Scythanith]

I had a pair for about 2 years. They never once let the starfish go (used linckia, choc chips and sandsifting stars) and would eat it entirely in a matter of two days. I fed them every week and a half. They were amazing little critters! I didnt have a supply of Asterina stars or I would have tried them out!

Give them a shot!

 

[seti2020]

Scott, did you small or large size stars.

I was just curious if that mattered at all.

 

[LeslieH]

Size doesn't matter as much as how strongly the star can hold on to the substrate. The shrimp tend to turn their larger prey over to keep them from getting away & favor species with comparatively weak tube feet (Scott - is this how yours operated?). It would be great if you belonged to a reef club & could get get asterinids from members plagued with them.

 

[seti2020]

thanks for the help