for viewing fun

[Timmy]

Fantastic shots! Hope the four stars I have in my tank start reproducing so I can get one!

[schneijt]

Just thought I'd throw this out there: I've been researching this and there's no guarantee that a Harlequin will eat Asterina stars. It seems they can potentially be hit or miss about eating these common live-rock hitchhiker starfish. I didn't spend hours Googling it, though I did see that some people didn't have luck with a Harlequin eating them. So, if some more of us get them, we still may have to go out and buy chocolate chip starfishes and the like... Oh, and I did read that they only need to be fed every 2-4 weeks if you're purchasing "food" for them. So that's potentially good news if you don't have a self-sustaining population of stars that they'll eat.

-Joe

[Jrmass]

"

The Harlequin Shrimp was first scientifically described in 1852. The Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Harlequin Shrimp have a white body with large light blue spots, and the males are slightly smaller than the female. It differs from its close cousin, the HawaiianH. picta which has purple and red spots. It has large claws (chelipeds) which are for show only; it does not use them for hunting. The Harlequin Shrimp is best kept as mated pairs in an aquarium with moderate light. The Harlequin Shrimp can not tolerate copper or high nitrates, and iodine levels must be correct and maintained to ensure proper molting. It is very particular about what it will eat, dining only on echinoderms, primarily starfish, and a few urchin species. It will eat starfish (Linckia, Fromia sp.) by starting at the tip of the arm and working its way to the central disc. The starfish may shed the arm, but is often mortally wounded. As its primary source of food, you will need to supply the Harlequin Shrimp with starfish (Asterias rubens for adults, and Linckia for juveniles). The adults may also eat sea urchins.

"

That is copied DIRECTLY from Live Aquaria's Harlequin Shrimp description here: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...749&pcatid=749


Figured I would post this up for any of you that may concider getting one (such as myself).



The one thing that I'm still not sure of is... Can you freeze the starfish... thaw the arm and feed the shrimp an arm at a time? Sounds very barbarik I know but, it's no different than feeding silversides, krill, or any of the other frozen foods we all feed.

If anyone has any insight on this please chime in as I'm very interested!

Jason

[schneijt]

Something tells me that it probably has to be a living starfish they feed on...

Ok, I just googled: http://www.reefaquariumguide.com/for...-starfish.html

Someone with a breeding pair of them says that they'll eat frozen starfish if they're really hungry... But it seems that live starfish is really the way to go. Could they survive on frozen? I'm sure they probably could. But thrive? Nah, probably not...

-Joe

[Jrmass]

Sounds good Joe. I was just curious as it sounded like a pretty darn good idea to me. Obviously it must not have sounded like too bad of an idea to you as well otherwise you wouldn't have googled it lol =)

Jason

[Afish4u]

Originally Posted by schneijt

Just thought I'd throw this out there: I've been researching this and there's no guarantee that a Harlequin will eat Asterina stars. It seems they can potentially be hit or miss about eating these common live-rock hitchhiker starfish. I didn't spend hours Googling it, though I did see that some people didn't have luck with a Harlequin eating them. So, if some more of us get them, we still may have to go out and buy chocolate chip starfishes and the like... Oh, and I did read that they only need to be fed every 2-4 weeks if you're purchasing "food" for them. So that's potentially good news if you don't have a self-sustaining population of stars that they'll eat.

-Joe

I would much rather keep the starfish then through in something thats not reef safe.

as far as a pair of Harlequins it would have been nice to get a pair. But my concern is I didn't know what size this shrimp would be. Just like ordering a cleaner shrimp lately them seem to be so high priced and there so small and alot of places.

I lucked out and got a nice size. This also tells me its older though. But I'm really happy just watching this one. FYI it would have been atleast 60.00 for a pair sight unseen, and if they were only the size of an inch. That would have been to much of a gambel for me.

[schneijt]

Originally Posted by Jrmass

Sounds good Joe. I was just curious as it sounded like a pretty darn good idea to me. Obviously it must not have sounded like too bad of an idea to you as well otherwise you wouldn't have googled it lol =)

Jason

Yeah, I thought it was a pretty good idea. I mean, thaw some frozen food cubes or whatever, thaw a piece of starfish, and then feed everything in the tank in one easy step! But those dang Harlequins are too fussy and really only want living starfish. Those snobs!

Seriously, though, Aaron. Keep us updated, since I now suspect we'll see a few more Harlequin Shrimps arriving in LARK in the next few months if yours keeps doing well.

-Joe

[ReefLuvR]

Joe, did you really just say "unthaw"?????!!!

[schneijt]

Nope.

LOL. It's been a long day. It was my day off, but I got called into work at 7am for a few hours since someone had called in sick...

[Afish4u]

I thought I should update this. my Harlequin has been missing for the past 2 weeks. I'm guessing it has moved on. Things have been knowen to go missing for 2 weeks-6 months at a time in my tank. However with me checking my tank ALL over and in the middle of the night I haven't found anything except one starfish that it liked to eat (and that only had 2 legs.... 2 legs to many). I'm not sure if it was due to its size that it ate more or if they all eat that fast but I can say my tank is basically clean and I had literally a few hundred in there.

[Timmy]

Well I hope it just shows up and gives you a nice surprise one day.