How is my Harlequin Shrimp alive?

[Akwarius]

I purchased a harlequin shrimp about 2-3 months ago from an online vendor. I basically got it just to bring the dollar amount high enough for free shipping with no intention of keeping it alive. I know, responsible:wink:. I expected to see it devour my asterina population and possibly go after my brittle and serpent stars. No such luck. After the first couple of days, it was gone (dead?) and then popped up again with renewed confidence last week. Im not sure how it's alive or what it's surviving on.

 

[xmetalfan99]

Odds are it is eating your stars but not as quickly as they are reproducing. It could also just be eating bits of your other stars and they are healing up fast enough to not be noticeable.

 

[Reef keeper]

I had this same thing happen he just disappeared into thin air and then reappeared. But from wat I understand they don't eat the mini brittles or the brittle stars. He pfobrally survived on the asterinas because wat 5-6 stars a week they reproduce so fast it might b hard to tell if any are getting eaten.

 

[Akwarius]

Yeah, it seems like my asterina population has only increased. My understanding was that a harlequin could wipe a large tank clean in a few weeks.

 

[xmetalfan99]

Yeah, it seems like my asterina population has only increased. My understanding was that a harlequin could wipe a large tank clean in a few weeks.

Unfortuantely, that is a very common misconception. They will eat the stars quickly, but in tanks where the population is reaching plague proportions, you need a few to reall ymake a dent.

 

[Reef keeper]

Maybe thay have to be in pairs or multiples to make a difference in the stars pop.

 

[Akwarius]

Unfortuantely, that is a very common misconception. They will eat the stars quickly, but in tanks where the population is reaching plague proportions, you need a few to reall ymake a dent.

So I wonder if it's possible that I've hit a balance between asterinas consumed and asterina reproduction. I seriously dont know what else it could be eating.

 

[xmetalfan99]

So I wonder if it's possible that I've hit a balance between asterinas consumed and asterina reproduction. I seriously dont know what else it could be eating.

You never know. Nature can surprise you sometimes. The little guy could be eating something he wouldn't normally be. Livestock rarely read the same books we do. I'd prolly leave everything alone and see what happens.

 

[Akwarius]

You never know. Nature can surprise you sometimes. The little guy could be eating something he wouldn't normally be. Livestock rarely read the same books we do. I'd prolly leave everything alone and see what happens.

Yeah- he probably figured out how to eat high-end zoas.

 

[xmetalfan99]

Yeah- he probably figured out how to eat high-end zoas.

Probably. Livestock always eat what you don't want them to whenever they don't eat what they should. Its a fact of reefkeeping.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

So I wonder if it's possible that I've hit a balance between asterinas consumed and asterina reproduction. I seriously dont know what else it could be eating.

Unless you have any other stars in there for it to eat (not brittle)....then he is just living of your asterinas which is a good thing. Especially if you still have a ton...means you wont need to buy him food for a while! Rare cases they will eat prepared food too. They also tend to live on sponges so he could be living in the back some where you cant see.

 

[CJO]

I purchased a harlequin shrimp about 2-3 months ago from an online vendor. I basically got it just to bring the dollar amount high enough for free shipping with no intention of keeping it alive. I know, responsible:wink:. I expected to see it devour my asterina population and possibly go after my brittle and serpent stars. No such luck. After the first couple of days, it was gone (dead?) and then popped up again with renewed confidence last week. Im not sure how it's alive or what it's surviving on.

What size tank do you have? I would be interested in a harlequin if he could survive on the asterinas in my tank (I have a bunch).

Thanks,
CJ

 

[fsu1dolfan]

What size tank do you have? I would be interested in a harlequin if he could survive on the asterinas in my tank (I have a bunch).

Thanks,
CJ

Good question - Most i know tear through asterinas in a couple weeks depending on the size. I think someone one here said they get more stars from the LFS he works at...so imagine how many those shrimp run through!

 

[xmetalfan99]

Good question - Most i know tear through asterinas in a couple weeks depending on the size. I think someone one here said they get more stars from the LFS he works at...so imagine how many those shrimp run through!

Another option would be to buy some chocolate chip stars and keep them in your fuge or another tank. Once a week cut a leg off one and throw it in your tank. The let the star heal by using a different star for the next week. Not exactly a nice thing to do, but it works for when the population has diminished.

 

[Viva'sReef]

I picked one up about a year ago to help with the Asterna's in my display....I had hundreds, maybe thousands of them. The Shrimp literally tore through all of them in a few weeks, and I had to start buying Choco starfish to supplement his feedings. I went through 4 choco starfish before I decided to give away the Shrimp, feeding him was getting too expensive. I would cut an arm off of the choco starfish with my bandsaw and feed him a arm/leg a week.

 

[WesF]

Mine will disappear for months and randomly make a cameo appearance when I least expect it.

That may be because there is only 1 in a 250g. The Asterinas seem to be able to reproduce fast enough to keep it well fed.

 

[Tabasco1]

What size tank do you have? Looks like you found a balance if you are not seeing a difference. I have never heard of them eating anything besides starfish legs. You never know though.

 

[Akwarius]

It's in a 125. I have yet to actually witness it eating an asterina.

 

[fsu1dolfan]

It's in a 125. I have yet to actually witness it eating an asterina.

Thats pretty crazy!! Have you seen him eat anything at all?? After 2-3 months, you figure he's got to be eating something.

 

[Akwarius]

Thats pretty crazy!! Have you seen him eat anything at all?? After 2-3 months, you figure he's got to be eating something.

That's my point. He's obviously eating something. Like someone said before- the asterina population must be large enough to strike some sort of balance.