Feeding harlequin shrimp

[YoCamron]

I have a harlequin shrimp that goes through a chocolate chip starfish leg every 2-4 days depending on the size of the leg. When my shrimp finishes the leg, I don’t feed a leg for one whole day but I do give him 1-2 asterina stars. Just wanted to know if anyone has kept these long term and if you fed the whole starfish or the leg? I have mine in an isolation chamber right now while my species only tank for him cycles, so just wanted to figure out the best way to feed these guys to let em thrive. I think I may have to buy at least 10 more starfish to be able to cycle through them while allowing their legs to regenerate. Let me know your guy’s best methods for success!

 

[sp1187]

I try to get asterinas. used to have a source I bought them 100 at a time. when I can't get asterinas I'll put a whole chocolate chip in. took mine 2-3 weeks to finish it.

 

[reef lover]

Id use the whole star. They have adapted to eating the legs first and leaving the center til last that way the star stays alive the entire time its being eaten. Takes a pair about a week to finish a large star.
And then i wait a week before feeding again.

 

[flsalty]

The Chocolate Chip stars don't eat any coral or snails while they are in there?

 

[reef lover]

They dont get a chance...Harleys are vicious!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Chocolate chip most popular offering and the whole star

 

[DSC reef]

I agree, give him the whole starfish, the harlequin will grab a hold before the starfish can do any damage. It would take a few days and the starfish would be devoured. I'd try to source a small to a medium sized chocolate chip starfish

 

[Greg P]

I'm sure I'll get bashed but, why do you guys keep a critter in your tank that needs to feed on another critter ?
It's not like it's a fish which eats mysids/krill/shrimps etc
Why keep it (starfish) in your tank and watch it be eaten by your shrimps?

 

[DSC reef]

I'm sure I'll get bashed but, why do you guys keep a critter in your tank that needs to feed on another critter ?
It's not like it's a fish which eats mysids/krill/shrimps etc
Why keep it (starfish) in your tank and watch it be eaten by your shrimps?

You do realize what you feed your tank was alive at one point? Brine shrimp are alive when I fed the mandarins? Life only matters now if it's a starfish, lol? I wouldn't judge others on what they keep. I'd own another harlequin and feed him starfish without thinking about it. People feed their predator fish live mollies and damselfish, our python eats live rodents. Seem like a loaded question you have there.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You do realize what you feed your tank was alive at one point? Brine shrimp are alive when I fed the mandarins? Life only matters now if it's a starfish, lol? I wouldn't judge others on what they keep. I'd own another harlequin and feed him starfish without thinking about it. People feed their predator fish live mollies and damselfish, our python eats live rodents. Seem like a loaded question you have there.

Amen.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm sure I'll get bashed but, why do you guys keep a critter in your tank that needs to feed on another critter ?
It's not like it's a fish which eats mysids/krill/shrimps etc
Why keep it (starfish) in your tank and watch it be eaten by your shrimps?

No bashing but rhetoric in essence- why do we kill chickens to eat chicken or cows to eat steak/beef and so forth. It is man who has killed every animal to eat and survive. Im sure not going to accuse a shrimp of the same.
Do realize these shrimp were acquired to begin with to eradicate pest starfish and to prevent from starving offered additional starfish for continued food source.
This survival method often considered sacrifice has been going on since A.D. when fishermen gave Christ 7 fish to feed thousands of people.

 

[reef lover]

I keep em cause theyre beautiful!

 

[Idoc]

I've never seen a Harlequin shrimp feasting...I will have to look that up!

 

[Greg P]

I should have been clearer ...
I fed my electric catfish feeder goldfish and never had second thoughts about it. They were out of their misery fairly quickly.
I'm just thinking about a starfish having an arm chewed on while it's going 'Ow ow ow"

I had a mated pair of Harlequins back in mid 2014 to clear out a horde of Asterinas and sold them before they started chewing on my Red Fromia. I had no feelings about the Asterinas as I think of them as pests.
I would have liked to have kept the Harlequins as they are quite beautiful.

No intention of bashing anyone for feeding them starfish, I just personally couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

[YoCamron]

I've never seen a Harlequin shrimp feasting...I will have to look that up!

here’s a time lapse i made of mine eating

 

[YoCamron]

I'm sure I'll get bashed but, why do you guys keep a critter in your tank that needs to feed on another critter ?
It's not like it's a fish which eats mysids/krill/shrimps etc
Why keep it (starfish) in your tank and watch it be eaten by your shrimps?

lol this is hilarious and pretty ignorant. you realize the krill, mysis, etc thats frozen or freeze dried was alive at some point? it’s nature, and the harlequin shrimp only eats starfish (and rarely urchins when desperate).... guess we should just let em starve to death

 

[YoCamron]

I keep em cause theyre beautiful!

great picture

 

[YoCamron]

You do realize what you feed your tank was alive at one point? Brine shrimp are alive when I fed the mandarins? Life only matters now if it's a starfish, lol? I wouldn't judge others on what they keep. I'd own another harlequin and feed him starfish without thinking about it. People feed their predator fish live mollies and damselfish, our python eats live rodents. Seem like a loaded question you have there.

couldn’t agree with you more

 

[Fishingandreefing]

Sad that they only eat starfish, I had one. He was beautiful but I had to sell him because I ran out of those little stars in a month.

 

[YoCamron]

Sad that they only eat starfish, I had one. He was beautiful but I had to sell him because I ran out of those little stars in a month.

never thought i’d be introducing pests to my tank on purpose lol. i love the look of these guys so buying stars every once in a while i worth it. im stocked up for a while now so i am gonna test this regeneration process for now. not too much info on how cc stars regenerate. last time my marine bio class went out to collect data on local stars my professor stated it takes 3 months minimum to regenerate so i assume somewhere around there. perhaps faster in captivity