I really love this shrimp, but I have heard mixed reviews about it. What has everyone's experience been here with this species?
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harlequin shrimp
- Thread starter ClimberChris
- Start date
When they decimate the pest starfish supply, is there an online/local store where I can get more? I have a fair amount, but I don't want the thing to starve :-X
I had a pair of harlequins for a while and eventually got rid of them (one sold the other eaten by a hermit during a molt). I got chocolate chip stars at trop. They are the cheapest option out there but they are not reef safe. You can also get sand sifter stars, but they run a bit more expensive and are reef safe. They will only go after stars with the "suckers" on their feet so brittle stars are not food.
So one of those small shrimp will eat a full sized sand sifter, or do they just take small nips off of it here and there?
i have a pair of harlequins, and i hated seeing them kill ther chocs over very extended periods of time, it's not a quick process by any means, so then i would but the chocs, freeze them, then cut off pieces to feed the shrimps when needed. then last weekend was at a marina in belmar, grabbed a few stars off the dock, tried them, and the shrimp and even a couple fish loved them. so, it will cost less to feed them from now on.
I have a sand sifting star now who would be shrimp bait and if I do get this species, I may just get a pair. About how often would you have to feed them a starfish?
i cut off a star arm from the frozen stock maybe twice a week.
Have you had problems with them taking frozen food as opposed to the live stuff? Do you remove half eaten debris to avoid a nitrate spike from decomposition?
no problems, the pretty much finish anything i'd worry bout decaying
Very cool 
So I could just buy these in bulk, freeze and feed 2 arms a week to the shrimp https://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?did=2&pid=1275&cid=85 . How do these shrimp fair with peppermint shrimp?
So I could just buy these in bulk, freeze and feed 2 arms a week to the shrimp https://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?did=2&pid=1275&cid=85 . How do these shrimp fair with peppermint shrimp?yeah that will work, and no problems with any other inverts, but you could get those for bout the same price from a sponsering lfs. i like to suppoert those who support the club whenever possible. will at aquatic obessions offers about the same price, with no shipping on chocs
I definitely rather support a local LFS opposed to another vendor. Unfortunately, the only LFD I have found is Absolutely Fish and I am not a huge fan of them. They have a great stock, clean tanks, etc..; however, I have had some really rude sales guys and their prices are insane. I will scour the forums and see what other sponsering dealers are in Northern/Central NJ. Thanks for all your help! I am pretty sure I am going to go with a pair
Harlequin shrimp are not hermaphoditic like cleaners and the rest so if you want a pair, make sure you are buying them as a pair. If you get two males they will fight especially over the food. We just added a new star after they decimated the old one. It is cool to watch them feed but it can kind of get to you the fact that they keep them alive just to eat them.
I had a mated pair for 3 years and they were great. Got them dues to the infestation of those small white 5 legged starts in the tank which virtually dissappered in a wek once they were added. Fed them chocolate starts after that and have to admit it was torture for the choc to be eaten over time. Like the idea of freezing the star and then cutting the legs.
As for finding starts at the beach it sounds like russian roulette before you introduce something bad to your tank.
As for finding starts at the beach it sounds like russian roulette before you introduce something bad to your tank.
I will have to freeze the chocolate stars otherwise there is a chance they will eat my zoas and sun Coral I don't think that feeding a live starfish to them would bother me, but I don't know how my girlfriend would feel about a 2 legged starfish with bite marks crawling around the tank.
I don't think that feeding a live starfish to them would bother me, but I don't know how my girlfriend would feel about a 2 legged starfish with bite marks crawling around the tank.I recently bought a mated pair of Harlequin Shrimps. Can I just drop a choco chip star in the display tank without quarantine? I'm afraid it will carry ich, etc. and contaminate the tank.
Yeah, my harleys did the same thing when I first fed the week of Labor Day weekend. But, it occurred to me that if I got the starfish from the LFS, their water might be carrying something?