circusink22
New member
55g those stars multiply fast
Let's talk about Harlequin shrimp
- Thread starter E.intheC
- Start date
Thanks these are my reef Romeo & Juliet! When I first got them they were very shy and only came out when they were hungry.
Now they seem more outgoing and willing to come out in the open a few times a day.
As for the comments on how much they eat, in my experience they are ravenous! Its incredible they will eat a star that is way heavier they they are in a matter of days.
tpdpercula
New member
I keep ample numbers of Choclate Chips in my clownfish system and just grab one when its feeding time. The Astrias crawl up the top of the glass in the tanks I have Harlequins in so if I see them I just run my algae magnet by them and hope that the shrimp find them before they crawl up again.
Dave Harms
Premium Member
Mine eventually died when I couldn't get any choco-stars for too long.
Having a second tank to keep stars in and just feed an arm would be a good idea.
jwilliams860
Member
I originally bout a breding pair at a LFS about 4 months ago, I also had asterina star outbreak in my tank, in a bout a month they had my 120 cleaned up, only ones still around were in my overflows and sump, id pull them out and the harleys would take them off my finger to eat, I buy a choco star at the LFS about twice a month for them to eat, this is in a reef tank also, and dont worry if you just drop the star in front of them it wont do any damage to your coral, they wont let him get far, the star would climb around some, but they rode him the whole time and would flip him over and make short work of him, mine molt about once a month now, and she lays eggs often to.These are awesome creatures to have and watch, unfortunately their diet is paticular and if you cant stomach feeding them what they require I would pass.
gkaquatic
New member
if u havn't read this yet it has a lot of good info
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/harlequinshrimp.html
and for all the people complaining about the whole chopping a leg off a chocolate chip star, do u think the harlequin kills the star fish firtst if u give it a whole one.... NO. its alive for days until it finally dies from the shrimp the center part of the star.
*and im not trying to trash talk at all, at least the chocolate chip star seems to have a longer better life by rotating stars for legs then giving it to the shrimp which probably wont eat the entire star before it starts to rot.
http://www.chucksaddiction.com/harlequinshrimp.html
and for all the people complaining about the whole chopping a leg off a chocolate chip star, do u think the harlequin kills the star fish firtst if u give it a whole one.... NO. its alive for days until it finally dies from the shrimp the center part of the star.
*and im not trying to trash talk at all, at least the chocolate chip star seems to have a longer better life by rotating stars for legs then giving it to the shrimp which probably wont eat the entire star before it starts to rot.
Hey Phish guy glad too see a fimilar face here!
I have 2 bristol stars in my 65 corner with my harlequins and they have been in that tank since I adopted the stars last Oct and they have been able to avoid any har by my Harlequins thus far. They are just too fast and the Harlequins would need a team of shrimp too keep them fliped over.
The longest my Harlequins wnet without food was over 2 weeks nere 3, the Bristol stars went untouched so I must say that, in your case...Vegas is giving your serpent star a 6-1 odds that it will be just fine with a harlequin or two.
Sadly today i'm here to report bad news...
Yesterday I came home from work to find one of my harlequin shrimp has passed on. I can tell the diffrence bwteen a molt & a dead shimp so there is no mistakeing this for a molt.
Now I just passed 2 years with him and his mate is just fine. I'd wondering hwo long Harlequin shrimp live for?
I think I rember hearing its about 2-3years so I'm hoping that it was natural caused death. Tank perm are normal
ph 8.0
temp 78
amonia 0
Nitrate 0
nirite undetectable
phosphate is also 0
Last I highly doubt that he died of starvation. I have reacently tryed the freezing starfish arms and feeding them once a week so he would have had a good meal reacently unless 2 theorys might reveal a cause.
#1 does freezing starfish make them less nutricious to the shrimp?
#2 last 2 weeks they were fed a pink marbel star which is not one of their fav meals, is it possible that he declind a meal he didn't enjoy and chose to starve himself waiting for somthing better?
RIP little Harly!
Yesterday I came home from work to find one of my harlequin shrimp has passed on. I can tell the diffrence bwteen a molt & a dead shimp so there is no mistakeing this for a molt.
Now I just passed 2 years with him and his mate is just fine. I'd wondering hwo long Harlequin shrimp live for?
I think I rember hearing its about 2-3years so I'm hoping that it was natural caused death. Tank perm are normal
ph 8.0
temp 78
amonia 0
Nitrate 0
nirite undetectable
phosphate is also 0
Last I highly doubt that he died of starvation. I have reacently tryed the freezing starfish arms and feeding them once a week so he would have had a good meal reacently unless 2 theorys might reveal a cause.
#1 does freezing starfish make them less nutricious to the shrimp?
#2 last 2 weeks they were fed a pink marbel star which is not one of their fav meals, is it possible that he declind a meal he didn't enjoy and chose to starve himself waiting for somthing better?
RIP little Harly!
It looks like it may have been natural. My temp hasn't had any drematic temp flux, and no salinity fluxs that I noticed.
I had noticed that the colour went lighter right before the end.
I had noticed that the colour went lighter right before the end.
