Harlequin Shrimp Feeding

[Pier Pressure]

Hi, everyone.

I picked up a Harlequin shrimp about a month ago at Golds and this thing has completely devoured all of the small white starfish in my tank. I bought him a big starfish and he ate it in about two days. Now he is twice the size of when I bought him, but is looking hungry again.

I do not have a sump so I cannot buy a starfish and just break off a leg to feed. Does anyone know where to get starfish at a decent price? I checked all LFS on the weekend and they all want to sell great big ones for $20+. That is pretty expensive for food!

[kwirky]

what about buying a HOB filter to house a few starfish? turn it all the way down?

[Pier Pressure]

I only have a 28 gallon and it already has a HOB skimmer, pumps, etc. There is no room for any more equipment. I thought about putting the starfish into a breeder net but that is not very attractive.

When I bought him, I thought the little white starfish in my tank would keep it going but no luck as the shrimp has already eaten them all. Thanks for the advice, though.

[Patrick1]

I also keep a few. I had some in a smaller tank with no sump a couple of years ago. I tossed a larg star fish in the freezer and every couple of days cut a half inch chunk off and tossed it in. Worked well. Less cruel and the starfish keeps for a long time.

[Pier Pressure]

Thank you very much for that idea. We shall have to try that. I don't like the idea of freezing a starfish but after I saw what that shrimp did to the last one I threw in - well, lets just say the starfish would be better off frozen!

[Chaloupa]

I have been wanting to post a thread on whether or not harlequins would eat Asterina star fish (those little white ones you most likely had) and you have answered my question! Now I'll have to find one for my 150g

[Pier Pressure]

Yes mine were the little white common ones that hitchhike in on live rock. I could not believe how fast the shrimp ate them all!

[Myka]

A 28g is not a very good size tank to try to keep Harlequins without spending that $20 once a week on a starfish for it to eat. I've seen setups that have refugiums breeding the little tiny starfish (they're Asterina sp), and then fed into the tank as the population grows. It's quite the little project though.

[Pier Pressure]

I only have the one shrimp and am going to try the frozen starfish thing. I threw a fresh leg in last night and shall see if there is anything left of it today. The blue hermits seemed interested in it but the harlequin did not come out as he prefers evenings and nighttime.

Patrick1, how did you ensure that your harlequins were the ones eating the leg and not some other creature? Are harlequins the only ones who are interested in eating starfish?

[VFX]

They'ill go through Asterina populations pretty damned fast, even if you seem to have an infestation, so you'll still need to find ways to feed it once they've all gone.

I heard of one guy keeping 10 stars in his sump & cutting one leg off one star every 2 days. By the time he got round to the 1st star, the legs would've grown back.

Problem is making sure the 10 stars have enough food to survive!

oh & if anyone is looking, J&L had one in stock on the weekend.

.

[Chaloupa]

For continued feeding what is recommended? Chocolate Chip stars in the sump or? Do Harlequin Shrimp actively hunt and then kill an adult starfish?

[VFX]

For continued feeding what is recommended? Chocolate Chip stars in the sump or? Do Harlequin Shrimp actively hunt and then kill an adult starfish?

They actively hunt for starfish - if you get a pair of them, they'll hunt & make their kill's together.

Fascinating to watch (if you can bare the though of them chomping on a $15 starfish!).

If I worked in a LFS or had access to cheap starfish then I'd just throw one in each week & let them hunt.

Otherwise, I'd use the multiple stars in the sump method or if I couldn't keep all those stars alive then, maybe the freezer method.

.