Does anyone else keep harlequin shrimp?

[944speeder]

I'm wondering if anyone has or had a pair of harlequin shrimp. I've heard when a male is introduced it shortens their lifespan, is this true? Here's a pic of my female named Harley

 

[Hesselrode]

In my eyes gotta have money to have that. A starfish once a week is a bit much on my pocket book.

 

[Tkey3425]

In my eyes gotta have money to have that. A starfish once a week is a bit much on my pocket book.

I heard it was only one a month. But I could be mistaken.

 

[obscurereef]

Also heard it's one month. Beautiful shot of the shrimp.

 

[Hesselrode]

The lfs here feeds theirs weekly. But still once a month is too much haha. Fish food is cheaper.

 

[bettaowner]

Those shrimp are beautiful but I wouldn't buy an organism that feeds only one item.

 

[aquandrew]

they also eat sea urchins lol

 

[bettaowner]

Or rather an organism that feeds on hard to obtain food

 

[Ericwm]

I may get one temporarily to help with my asterina stars, it would be cool if my population could sustain a harlequin long term but I doubt it.

 

[bettaowner]

I've seen a video that said it would be incredibly difficult to create a population of sea stars that would provide enough food for a single harlequin shrimp. Imagine trying to keep a pair!

 

[Sniperhank]

Highly unlikely being able to create a population. I read about a guy keeping a pair with a ton of chocolate chip stars that lived in his sump. He would simply cut a leg off and feed them. Stated the arms would grow back w/o problem. Just took a dozen stars.

 

[Kristy3693]

Highly unlikely being able to create a population. I read about a guy keeping a pair with a ton of chocolate chip stars that lived in his sump. He would simply cut a leg off and feed them. Stated the arms would grow back w/o problem. Just took a dozen stars.

Sounds a bit cruel to me, I don't think I could do that, even if it was going to grow back.

 

[944speeder]

Well to begin with I feed mine about 2chocolate chips a month depending on the size. But given she can eat a ton! And star fish aren't cheap, I love my specimen, nothing surprises people more then when my shrimp wrestles a starfish onto its back and then begins to eat it!

 

[Ericwm]

Well I may have one for a week then, they are cool but I don't think I could feed them either. My asterina stars have gone crazy though just like everyone said they would. I don't mind them but I don't want it to get too bad, and the shrimp are amazing looking.

 

[Sniperhank]

Well I may have one for a week then, they are cool but I don't think I could feed them either. My asterina stars have gone crazy though just like everyone said they would. I don't mind them but I don't want it to get too bad, and the shrimp are amazing looking.

They'll taper off. Don't worry about it.

 

[Raleighfishnerd]

I have a pair of them and I only feed them when I see the two of them out searching for food usually ends up being every other week or two and I give them a medium sized cc starfish. Tried feeding them every week and they wouldn't eat. Never heard of them having a shortened life span when in a pair.

 

[944speeder]

Yeah I recently got a very large cc starfish and cut off one leg at a time, makes me feel better not having to worry about them eating my corals lol and I can portion control their food haha

 

[Raleighfishnerd]

My harlequins never let the starfish have a chance they flip them over as soon as they hit the sand and never let go until it is dead and gone.

 

[Hesselrode]

Wow that sounds cruel!!

 

[Raleighfishnerd]

Wow that sounds cruel!!

Kinda strange I see cutting the starfish legs off cruel but not directly feeding the entire starfish to the shrimp