Harlequin shrimp food question(CC?)

colourmop · 10/02/2006, 09:01 PM

got a pair of Harlequin shrimps today! i know they only eat seastars, and im gonna go get couple tomorrow! but i want to clear something before i go out and buy those poor stars.
here are my water para and tank stuffs:
everything bad:0
calc 350-400, alk10-13, pH 8.2-8.3, SG 1.025.
12gal with 5gal fuge, total 30lb of LR, both have 4inch LS, 2-3 lb of cheato in the fuge(27W dual PC) and MH 150w for the maintank, aqua C remora skimmer 24-7

first, how fast will it take for a pair of adult harlequin to immoblize a seastar? say chocolatechip (small) because i have this 4x4 sandy area ready for the star/shrimp battle, but everywhere else is filled with zoa/sps/mushrooms/anemone/clams. i dont want the chocolate chip destory those expensive stuffs before my harlequin can stop it.

second, will the harlequin shrimp keep the seastar alive by feeding it? if so, do i need to drop some meaty food near the shrimps during their feeding? also, will the seastar try to move/flip back during the feeding? (expensive corals/clams/anemone are near by)

third, can i keep 1-2 chocolate chip in my fuge? (5gal) and feed them meaty food once every couple days to keep them alive? so i can chop off a leg to feed the shrimps if they cannot stop the starfish from destory my zoas in time

thanks very much!!

dc · 10/02/2006, 10:23 PM

Harlequins can immobolize a starfish pretty quick. I think it usually took a week and a half for my single female to eat one. I think extras will be fine in your sump. Once they are immobolized the starfish won't eat, so no worries there. Good luck with them they are fascinating creatures. I have cut off legs, but I really hated doing it, and they are amazingly hard to cut.

ek9vboi · 10/03/2006, 01:14 AM

ouch. lovely shrimps... bad habits!

10/02/2006, 09:01 PM	#1
colourmop Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 45	Harlequin shrimp food question(CC?) got a pair of Harlequin shrimps today! i know they only eat seastars, and im gonna go get couple tomorrow! but i want to clear something before i go out and buy those poor stars. here are my water para and tank stuffs: everything bad:0 calc 350-400, alk10-13, pH 8.2-8.3, SG 1.025. 12gal with 5gal fuge, total 30lb of LR, both have 4inch LS, 2-3 lb of cheato in the fuge(27W dual PC) and MH 150w for the maintank, aqua C remora skimmer 24-7 first, how fast will it take for a pair of adult harlequin to immoblize a seastar? say chocolatechip (small) because i have this 4x4 sandy area ready for the star/shrimp battle, but everywhere else is filled with zoa/sps/mushrooms/anemone/clams. i dont want the chocolate chip destory those expensive stuffs before my harlequin can stop it. second, will the harlequin shrimp keep the seastar alive by feeding it? if so, do i need to drop some meaty food near the shrimps during their feeding? also, will the seastar try to move/flip back during the feeding? (expensive corals/clams/anemone are near by) third, can i keep 1-2 chocolate chip in my fuge? (5gal) and feed them meaty food once every couple days to keep them alive? so i can chop off a leg to feed the shrimps if they cannot stop the starfish from destory my zoas in time thanks very much!!

10/02/2006, 10:23 PM	#2
dc Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Wyoming Posts: 44,684	Harlequins can immobolize a starfish pretty quick. I think it usually took a week and a half for my single female to eat one. I think extras will be fine in your sump. Once they are immobolized the starfish won't eat, so no worries there. Good luck with them they are fascinating creatures. I have cut off legs, but I really hated doing it, and they are amazingly hard to cut. __________________ Debi ~60 Cube~ Why? Because I said so of course. -Sent via Tapatalk Smoke Signals-

10/03/2006, 01:14 AM	#3
ek9vboi Registered Member. Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: South FL Posts: 3,027	ouch. lovely shrimps... bad habits!