Adding harlequin shrimp with fire shrimp?

[FrightyDog]

I have a 29 gallon nanocube with a fire shrimp in there. Recently i have seen a boom in asterina starfish and i think they ate the last of my zoanthids. I want to get rid of them, but i don't know any other way rather than getting a harlequin shrimp. i have had the fire shrimp got a year now he is roughly 3-4 inches where as the newly added shrimp would be 2 inches. I heard fire shrimp are territorial. Any other suggestions for the stars?

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[Bill0181]

Doubt stars are eating your zoos unless you actually saw them doing it. A harlequin will wipe out all the stars quickly in a 29, but than what? You would have to supplement the shrimp with more starfish it is just not a good method. Try removing then manually when you see them I know several reefers including myself that just leave them, they rarely do any harm IMO

 

[ryn_C_mu]

I wouldn't do both I have a 37gal. Tank and have been instructed to not add two larger shrimp together like that due to territory

 

[mr_X]

Actually, you would be fine with a pair or trio of shrimp in a 29 or 37, but i would stick to social shrimp like skunk cleaners, and not predatory shrimp like coral banded.
I am in agreement with Bill0181 on all counts though...a harlequin will starve to death in a short time in a 29, unless you add starfish regularly to feed it, and I also doubt the asterinas ate your zoas unless you saw the zoa colony covered with them and they didn't leave it until it was gone.

 

[lemphotos]

I've heard people get a Har until all the starfish are gone, then they ask local reef clubs and they are having the same issue and you can let them use your baby.

 

[mr_X]

And what happens if no one needs it? Will you buy it starfish to eat? It's rough watching them kill starfish-even chocolate chip stars.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

I believe what most people do is set up a tank for 2 cc stars and once a week or so cut a leg off one of the stars to feed the shrimp, alternating between stars to give them a chance to re grow the leg.

 

[mr_X]

You would need about 100 stars to do this. They don't regrow a leg in 2 weeks.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Maybe not, but it wouldn't take 2 years either. I was just throwing it out there as an option, never done it myself as I couldn't cut up a living creature every few weeks.

 

[PB_Smith]

Harlequin Shrimp are another critter that have no place in home aquaria, plain and simple because you are faced with either feeding it starfish (not cheap) or letting it starve.

or you could just keep buying blue & red linckia stars and let them eat those because those starfish are going to die in captivity anyway.

that seems to be what one lfs I visit does. One week they will have a blue star for sale, next week it's food for the shrimp...

 

[Gregcoyote]

I tend to agree with that. It's like buying a tiger to get rid of a raccoon infestation. Very rapidly there are no more raccoons. Then what? Harlequin shrimp are very cool, but way too picky on their diet to be a practical aquarium pet IMO.