Feeding a Harlequin Shrimp

jasper24 · 07/12/2007, 06:51 PM

Suggestions? I was told that I could buy various star fish and freeze them. Then cut off a leg and thaw and feed it to the Harlequin. Anyone ever tried this? Thanks.

saturn tech · 07/12/2007, 06:53 PM

just throw in a choco star and let the shrimp find the sucker and feast.

jasper24 · 07/12/2007, 06:57 PM

Sounds messy. Can a Harlequin eat an entire Choc Star?

AquaReeferMan · 07/12/2007, 09:55 PM

Yes they can. I feed my pair a choc chip star every 2-3 weeks depending on the size of the star. Or just cut an arm off every couple of weeks and keep the rest of the star in your sump. It wont die.

hobbzz · 07/12/2007, 10:01 PM

What size tank will they be in? I would think if you left the star in there, the decaying (after it died) would pollute a small tank pretty quick. The star won't die right away, but with my last pair, it would die before they finished it and it would start to rot. They were in a 65. This time around I'm going to try freezing them and cutting off arms like you were talking about, and see if they take it.

I'd also like to know other peoples' experiences.

SDguy · 07/12/2007, 10:49 PM

That's weird...my pair takes weeks to finish a large star. Even until the last little piece, it remains solid. No decaying whatsoever. The shrimp eat everything except the hard white rock looking things.

hobbzz · 07/12/2007, 11:29 PM

I guess I should have been more specific. They usually got down to the last leg before it started decaying. It's not like it started dying right away, it would last a couple weeks. Maybe they weren't full grown?

AquaReeferMan · 07/13/2007, 12:00 AM

Yeah my stars stay together until its down to a leg or 2. Then you can see the shrimp walking around with the left overs. It never effects my water parameters.

cardgenius · 07/13/2007, 12:05 AM

Nice pics. I miss mine. I had a pair for about a year and fed them a large chocolate star once a month. They would come wadling out of their lair when I would drop the star in, after they would drag it back to their lair I wouldnt see them for weeks. It never affected my water quality though. But I do have a larger tank. Id still have them but they fell doom to the dreaded power head.

07/12/2007, 06:51 PM	#1
jasper24 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 2,120	Feeding a Harlequin Shrimp Suggestions? I was told that I could buy various star fish and freeze them. Then cut off a leg and thaw and feed it to the Harlequin. Anyone ever tried this? Thanks.

07/12/2007, 06:53 PM	#2
saturn tech Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: san francisco ca Posts: 87	just throw in a choco star and let the shrimp find the sucker and feast. __________________ One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die. -- Raoul Duke Industrial/ Goth music DJ. Current Tank Info: 55 gal Reef, lots of sand and rocks, some corals, multi legged things, finned things, creepy things,

07/12/2007, 09:55 PM	#4
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	Yes they can. I feed my pair a choc chip star every 2-3 weeks depending on the size of the star. Or just cut an arm off every couple of weeks and keep the rest of the star in your sump. It wont die. __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

07/12/2007, 10:01 PM	#5
hobbzz How do I change this? Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 3,037	What size tank will they be in? I would think if you left the star in there, the decaying (after it died) would pollute a small tank pretty quick. The star won't die right away, but with my last pair, it would die before they finished it and it would start to rot. They were in a 65. This time around I'm going to try freezing them and cutting off arms like you were talking about, and see if they take it. I'd also like to know other peoples' experiences. __________________ 150g system. 120g reef, sro3000, Apex, Tunze 6255/6105/6095, T5 w/led supplement, 29g reef, MP10, led only.

07/12/2007, 10:49 PM	#6
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	That's weird...my pair takes weeks to finish a large star. Even until the last little piece, it remains solid. No decaying whatsoever. The shrimp eat everything except the hard white rock looking things. __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

07/12/2007, 06:57 PM	#3
jasper24 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 2,120	Sounds messy. Can a Harlequin eat an entire Choc Star?

07/12/2007, 11:29 PM	#7
hobbzz How do I change this? Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 3,037	I guess I should have been more specific. They usually got down to the last leg before it started decaying. It's not like it started dying right away, it would last a couple weeks. Maybe they weren't full grown? __________________ 150g system. 120g reef, sro3000, Apex, Tunze 6255/6105/6095, T5 w/led supplement, 29g reef, MP10, led only.

07/13/2007, 12:00 AM	#8
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	Yeah my stars stay together until its down to a leg or 2. Then you can see the shrimp walking around with the left overs. It never effects my water parameters. __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

07/13/2007, 12:05 AM	#9
cardgenius Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 527	Nice pics. I miss mine. I had a pair for about a year and fed them a large chocolate star once a month. They would come wadling out of their lair when I would drop the star in, after they would drag it back to their lair I wouldnt see them for weeks. It never affected my water quality though. But I do have a larger tank. Id still have them but they fell doom to the dreaded power head. __________________ I'm no hero...never was. I'm just an old killer hired to do some wet work.