How hardy are Harlequin Shrimp?

[Rydogg420]

Can anyone tell me how hardy the Harlequin Shrimp is compsired to other reef shrimp like the skunk, blood red, coral bandit and pepermint shrimp? I have and can keep all of these shrimp in my tank ( they are all in there right now)... I have had some issues with some bad starfish so I bought a Harlequin Shrimp to munch on them for me.. My issue is, that once I put the Harlequin Shrimp in my reef tank I did not see him again for about 2 months. after I saw the shrimp and it was alive I thought he would be find and I would see him again sometime.. But it has been 3-4 more months and I have not seen it again. I saw my bad starfish were thining out, but I could not find my shrimp (once again) so I did not know if the stars where thining because they were getting eaten or if they were just not breeding as much as they used too.

So I am looking to see how hardy everyone thinks the Harlequin Shrimp is. All my other shrimp are doing great like always so I wonder if my Harlequin Shrimp is just hiding and still alive too.. There are still little starfish in my tank for it to eat, not as many as there once was, so it didnt starve if it did die..

 

[Bigdaddy]

i have 2 and they are pretty hardy i bought them as well to get rid of the bad little stars but every 2 weeeks i buy a chocolate chip starfish to feed them since it is there only diet i want to make sure they dont starve , they do have a spot in the tank they cal home and very rarley travel from it andwhen they do its only the one he will go out and hunt while the other stas home , if i can keep them alive for almost a year anyone can

 

[Steelerfan747]

In my experience they are very hardy. I had one for a very long time till I sold off my last tank and recently purchased another for a problem I incurred with astria starfish. My last one was a little more visible. This one tends to stay out of sight unless hes hunting. I tend to purchase a small sand sifter for him every 3 weeks or so as he is still small and sifters are the least expensive in my area. Overall he is doing great

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

They are hardy,but can be reclusive at times,I had a pair that would not be seen for a couple of weeks at a time.

 

[Rydogg420]

Well you all are making me feel better. He must still be alive, but just hiding. (I hope) Maybe i will buy some cheap starfish and see if my shrimp hunts him down, I dont like the thought of killing a sand sifting star, but maybe il try it to see if the shrimp is still in the tank and save the starfish once the shrimp trys to eat him.. lol...

 

[ReeferBean]

Do you not see it at night? Wake up in the middle of the night and look, that's when I usually see mine unless you know its day time hiding spot. Its eaten probably a thousand asterinas, they are almost gone now... been with me since last March or so. I will trade him to a friend soon.

 

[Fatmike92]

Ha mine have been through so many tank changes and small spikes of levels after changing the Rock for me they have been extermly hardy

 

[Pkunk35]

I find the harlequin very hardy as long as food is present. If you still have asterinas in the tank I imagine he is still alive as long as nothing did him in.

Interesting thing I observed is when acclimating a choc chip to feed the shrimp, i take a baster full of the starfish water and add to the tank. Immediately the shrimp will smell the water and literally jump around the tank trying to find the starfish. Couple times i thought he had died until i did this and he came right out each time.

 

[Bigdaddy]

Interesting thing I observed is when acclimating a choc chip to feed the shrimp, i take a baster full of the starfish water and add to the tank. Immediately the shrimp will smell the water and literally jump around the tank trying to find the starfish. Couple times i thought he had died until i did this and he came right out each time.

im gonna have to try this

 

[Rydogg420]

Well the first time I found my shrimp was at night. I was feeding my corals and I just happened to spot something move with the flashlight I was using. I saw it was my shrimp and soo happy he was still alive after 2 months. I watched him for about 30 min then it went behind the rocks and I was never able to find him again..

So I just picked up a few starfish. once baby sand sifter (wich Im going to try and save) and one, ohh I cant think of the name. It looks like a marble starfish, but I cant say forsure. The marble starfish was free because he was getting muched on my some fish at the store, so I told the guy to give it to me so I could feed (find) my shrimp.. So its been one day, and I really havnt look all that hard for the shrimp, but the starfish is up on my glass and still not dead. Maybe the starfish will survive long enough for me to find out if the shrimp is dead or alive.. lol..