Chocolate chips are yummy!

[flricordia]

Never fails. When this little guy is out of starfish it hangs out at the front of the tank. There is no way it could know where it's starfish comes from, but there it was today, sitting on a zoa rock at the front of the tank.

 

[gflat65]

IMO, that's an excellent tankmate for a chocolate chip star:D.

 

[Spiderwoman]

I love my Harlequin pair! They did en up devouring a small red linckia that I put in the nano. I didn't think they'd eat that sucker so fast... they were hiding for a solid 2 weeks and during that time they ate the whole thing. I did catch them from the nano and moved to my 75g that is infested with asterina's.

 

[flricordia]

I was hesitant at first putting a chocolate chip in my reef tank but the shrimp will not leave them till they are completely eaten.

 

[Ladipyg]

Yeah...I used to have hundreds and hundreds of Asterinas...they were everywhere..it was terrible...got a really small Harlequin and he went thru them all in about 3 or 4 weeks...molted about once a week he grew so fast. Now I have to buy CC stars to keep him fed...I cannot believe how much those little buggers eat.

 

[tankerman]

so you put the entire choc chip in? why not just cut a tip off one of the legs and leave it in the sump?

 

[FaviaFreak]

I'm mot allowed to keep one because my gf feels bad for the starfish lol

 

[ReefRunner]

I had a harlequin that I swear would know when I got CC stars for him. I would get a shipment of them and when I opened the box and placed the stars in front of the tank to acclimate he would come out of hiding. I used to time how long it took him to come out and grab the star when I placed it in the tank. It usually took him less the a minute but it usually was no more then 15 seconds to come out. He would flip it over and drag it to the back of the tank. I wouldn't see him for about a week. I called him "Hannibal" :)

 

[flricordia]

so you put the entire choc chip in? why not just cut a tip off one of the legs and leave it in the sump?

Really no need to. The shrimp holds onto it till it is all eaten and if it does let it go it is only for a sort time and never outside of a quick retrieval.
Besides, I can't bring myself to cutting off their legs though I am giving it to the shrimp to be slowly eaten alive. Makes no sense I know.

 

[flricordia]

I had a harlequin that I swear would know when I got CC stars for him. I would get a shipment of them and when I opened the box and placed the stars in front of the tank to acclimate he would come out of hiding. I used to time how long it took him to come out and grab the star when I placed it in the tank. It usually took him less the a minute but it usually was no more then 15 seconds to come out. He would flip it over and drag it to the back of the tank. I wouldn't see him for about a week. I called him "Hannibal" :)

Great pics!

 

[laskopyre]

I've never had a harlequin before, how often do you have to put new starfish in there for it to eat?

 

[roshi719]

I just got my pair last week. right now they are devouring the asterinas in my display.

 

[Ladipyg]

It's true about how long it takes them to find the starfish...it's almost uncanny..like they have an ESP link to you and know what your getting ready to do.

 

[Neon Reef]

Has anyone had experience with putting a harlequin in a tank with an established mystery wrasse? i have a horrible asterina problem and was thinking about either getting a pair of harlequins, but don't want to throw in an expensive dinner for my mystery wrasse either.

 

[Ladipyg]

A pair would eat a huge population of stars in no time and then you'd be forced to get chocolate chips stars to keep them fed or pass them on to another reefer. I have a number of wrasses and I acclimated and put my shrimp in after lights out...they don't pay any attention to it at all now and he has his cubby holes and escape routes all planned out. I guess a lot depends on your wrasse...is it one of those single minded, totally focused ones that will not leave the shrimp alone until it's dead.

 

[softiegirl]

so you put the entire choc chip in? why not just cut a tip off one of the legs and leave it in the sump?

Seems a bit cruel to me...

 

[Saltysteele]

Seems a bit cruel to me...

def not for the faint of heart :squigglemouth:

i'm getting one though, picking it up at the frag swap.

did a hydrogen peroxide dip on my frag rack this morning. there had to be 20-30 white stars that fell off my zoa's (about 3" x 10")! that made up my mind for me

 

[Spiderwoman]

Harlequin Shrimp are an acquired taste in a way :) Knowing that starfish (Asterina's, and other meaty starfish) are the only thing they eat, you have to be prepared to feed them what they eat. Definitely don't get them with the intention that you are going to get them to eat something else.

They are by far the most attractive and interesting inverts.

 

[Ladipyg]

Harlequin Shrimp are an acquired taste in a way :) Knowing that starfish (Asterina's, and other meaty starfish) are the only thing they eat, you have to be prepared to feed them what they eat. Definitely don't get them with the intention that you are going to get them to eat something else.

They are by far the most attractive and interesting inverts.

Totally correct...If you are not going to be committed to getting them the food they need then don't get one...remove your star manually. Like Spiderwoman said...they will NOT eat anything else.