Will Bumble Bee Shrimp Eat Asteria Star's?
- Thread starter Inigma
- Start date
reef addict uk
New member
Don't know about bumblebee shrimps but harlequins will definitely eat them, and any other starfish/brittlestars and possibly urchins you have in the tank.
Mark
Mark
philter4
New member
I've kept both, and even though the books say they eat echinoderm feet, I've never seen one with a star, urchin, or cucumber. I like the harlequins, and I've collected them in HI and have a lg female in my reef, she feeds on any star I put in but she loves linkias the best.
The last pair of bumble bee's I collected are in my 6 gal nano, and I feed them frozen shrimp. I don't know if you know about them, but they are very territorial, if you don't buy them as a pair they will probably fight and the lgr one will kill the others. Also they are tiny, and get lost in a tank very easily. Your 30 gal is huge for them. The biggest one I've ever seen might have been 1/2 inch total length. Add to this that they are nocternal and you get an animal you wont ever see. IMO they are great additions to the tank, just letting you know what you are in for when you get them.
Here is a photo of the pair I just collected in Jan. The female (with both claws) is about 1/4 inch.
The last pair of bumble bee's I collected are in my 6 gal nano, and I feed them frozen shrimp. I don't know if you know about them, but they are very territorial, if you don't buy them as a pair they will probably fight and the lgr one will kill the others. Also they are tiny, and get lost in a tank very easily. Your 30 gal is huge for them. The biggest one I've ever seen might have been 1/2 inch total length. Add to this that they are nocternal and you get an animal you wont ever see. IMO they are great additions to the tank, just letting you know what you are in for when you get them.
Here is a photo of the pair I just collected in Jan. The female (with both claws) is about 1/4 inch.
Inigma
New member
Wow, thanks for the info. I haven't really researched them too much and when ever I found info. on a website that had them for sale, it was minimal. All I really gathered was that they were supposed to eat star fish.
How territorial? Could I add one to my 30 with a Harlequin that already has a Coral Banded? Or just skip it all together and just get a Harlequin for each tank? Can I put multiple Harlequins in a tank or are they a single only as well?
How territorial? Could I add one to my 30 with a Harlequin that already has a Coral Banded? Or just skip it all together and just get a Harlequin for each tank? Can I put multiple Harlequins in a tank or are they a single only as well?
philter4
New member
I've kept them with both harlequins and coral banded types (I keep the more unusual Stenopus like pyrosonotus and spinnosus). The harlequin doesn't bother anything except stars, the coral banded eat them if they can catch them, but they are tiny so in your 30 they may be able to stay clear.
As far as multiple harlwquins, IME only if purchased as a pair. I don't know for sure, but I've also never tried to add them together unless they were already paired up. I've collected them and everytime I've seen them in the wild they were paired up as well.
As far as multiple harlwquins, IME only if purchased as a pair. I don't know for sure, but I've also never tried to add them together unless they were already paired up. I've collected them and everytime I've seen them in the wild they were paired up as well.
