Boxxr May 23, 2008 Share May 23, 2008 I purchased a pair of harlequin shrimp last week along with two chocolate chip starfish. I have seen the larger of the two shrimp several times, mostly in the evening hanging out in the back of the tank. I dropped a leg of the starfish in the general area where I have seen the guy, but so far neither one has come out to eat. Is it advisable to wait until he comes out or should he find the grub on his own I haven't seen much on how to feed these guys other than what to feed them. Thanks, Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowardofNOVA May 23, 2008 Share May 23, 2008 Karl, Your going to hear some griping on this issue! I believe they only feed on live ones, not cut pieces! I purchased one last winter and let it feed on my small starfish in my 30g frag tank and it took them about 2 months to about wipe out what was in the tank! I didn't move it to a new tank fast enough and IMO, when the population dropped down below substaining it, it died! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxxr May 23, 2008 Author Share May 23, 2008 (edited) Karl, Your going to hear some griping on this issue! I believe they only feed on live ones, not cut pieces! I purchased one last winter and let it feed on my small starfish in my 30g frag tank and it took them about 2 months to about wipe out what was in the tank! I didn't move it to a new tank fast enough and IMO, when the population dropped down below substaining it, it died! Howard, Thanks. I did buy two live ones (chocolate chip starfish that is). I have a lot, and I mean a lot, of little green starfish all over the place. Dime size and smaller. I was thinking they might go after them. I was thinking of taking one of the chocolate chips in the sump and putting it in the main tank, instead of just one arm (or leg) to see if that gets them out and about. I purchased a pair and one of them was significantly bigger than the other. I have seen the large one come out in the evening, whereas the other one I haven't seen since the third day in the tank. I thought that I was ready for them in the tank.... -Karl Edited May 23, 2008 by Boxxr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme_tooth_decay May 23, 2008 Share May 23, 2008 Karl, Your going to hear some griping on this issue! Heh, not from me! His plan makes sense to me...you but a pet...you need to buy it food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRehman May 23, 2008 Share May 23, 2008 I have a couple of Harlequins in my tank to take care of the asterina stars. The shrimp have grown from around 3/4" to about 1 1/2". I did drop a leg of a chocolate star into the tank once and one harlequin was just carrying it around like a edible suitcase. I have not done any special feeding otherwise (and they are still alive). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxxr May 23, 2008 Author Share May 23, 2008 I have a couple of Harlequins in my tank to take care of the asterina stars. The shrimp have grown from around 3/4" to about 1 1/2". I did drop a leg of a chocolate star into the tank once and one harlequin was just carrying it around like a edible suitcase. I have not done any special feeding otherwise (and they are still alive). Yeah, that's what i was hoping for too. I have what appears to be a lot of asterina stars, but they are green. Most of the photos I have seen they are brown, white or reddish. I won't worry yet. I wish the little guy would make an appearance. -Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 May 23, 2008 Share May 23, 2008 They do not need live starfish to survive. Actually, in a pinch, they will also eat urchins. What they feed on is the tube feet of echinoderms (starfish, urchins, sand dollars, etc.). As such, you only need to have intact tube feet to feed it. I had a harlequin shrimp years ago and I bought a bag of frozen chocolate chip stars to feed it. I simply chopped up the bits and pieces of the starfish to feed periodically. If the shrimp does not find the food, I would find the shrimp and hand it the food. They are good at finding the food source, but since your food source can also crawl away and wreak havoc on your tank, it's always best to ensure that it goes to where it's supposed to. If it's not eating, you may have a problem. By the way, I have never been convinced that Asterina species is adequate as a food source for them. These stars are simply too small (in my experience) to feed them since they only eat the tube feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte May 23, 2008 Share May 23, 2008 I (of course) have sustainability issues when it comes to pulling animals from a reef to feed others. If you can make it work with asterinas for the long run (and I mean the full life of the shrimp), then great. But, all too often the CC stars are an attractive, unsustainable alternative. Here is a thread discussing harlequin shrimp and stars: Harlequins Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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