danthenewreefman Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 How many astrea starfish should I give my large female per week? The guy I got them from said he was feeding 2-3per day to a pair of them. He also thought this was well above how much they really needed. I was thinking 2-3 full size starfish per week. Like one every other day? I have a 75g with plenty of starfish, it'll be a year old in 2 months or so. I recently setup a 5.5g and wanted something cool small to go in it. I got him last night and I've already handed him 1 starfish this morning, he took it quickly. Is there no leftovers after they eat? I tried to find anything so I could suck it outa there; want to keep his water clean. Link to comment
andru24 Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Don't know the answers to your questions but can you buy the asterina starfish as a bulk food source? Was considering a harlequin myself. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 No but I could get them locally from fellow reefers I'm sure if I really needed um. I'm hopeful my 75g will be able to support her eating habits. I just read something said "at least 1 good meal a week" but that's very vauge. I mean -- are the considering a choclatechip leg a "good meal". I'd think gives comparison to sive a good meal would be just 1 big astrea a week? Link to comment
matt frizz Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 I've been feeding mine one chocolate chip starfish leg per 2 weeks and letting them find starfish in the tank for the other meals. One just got caught in my powerhead and died though. Be careful. Sad day. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 I've been feeding mine one chocolate chip starfish leg per 2 weeks and letting them find starfish in the tank for the other meals. One just got caught in my powerhead and died though. Be careful. Sad day. sorry for the loss man! I "searched" and read stuff you'd posted on them. I'm really enjoying it, stays right under the HOB in the shade but "puffs" up whenever anything moves in front of her tank. Link to comment
Squared Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 i don't if this helps...but my harlequin pair could eat a 3" seastar in a week. and asternias are like really small compared to that... Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 i don't if this helps...but my harlequin pair could eat a 3" seastar in a week. and asternias are like really small compared to that... Yea and see that probably compares to the guy I got him from giving 2-15astrea a week. But I'm sure they don't really need that much. Would be like us eating a cow a week! (3" seastar) Link to comment
DK_Reef Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 You are referring to Hymenocera elegans? I was thinking about adding Hymenocerca picta to my stocking list, but since both are very similar might as well ask another question here. I can easily buy cheap or gather starfish (tidepooling ) such as linckia, sheriff badge for the shrimp to eat. My question is, if it eats a starfish leg every 2 weeks, does that mean I just put in the starfish and it will dine on it for 10 weeks before adding another starfish? Or do I need to remove the starfish after the leg is gone? Won't the starfish die/pollute water? Basically my question is how to offer the starfish to the shrimp. I really like the local Harlequin shrimp pictured above Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 no i don't have the fancy purple hawaii one, I have the first one you mentioned. how much do the second sale for? this is the one you're getting? Link to comment
DK_Reef Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Yeah they are mostly primarily red spotted (the ones you will find) , the one I linked was one of the nicest color morphs I have ever seen, with purple and orange/red I actually think the Blue Indonesia one is just as amazing (the one you have), I would prefer blue above red. Price wise is more than the Indo that price I said earlier was incorrect I emailed an LFS about cost Good news though I found out they dropped the bill that would have banned the aquarium industry so that means Harlequin Shrimp is on the table again and everything else I love from Hawaii lol omgomgomg Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 yeah I'd like to have one of the purples ones but they're both so purty. and under by boostleds I doubt I'd be able to tell the difference-- no image editing: I got mine for $30 for a guy that runs a LFS outa his basement. The one I got was in a tank with a very small one and they were side by side constantly. I may go back and check his abdoman out (read up on how to sex-um). If it is a boy i'll probably grab it. Link to comment
DK_Reef Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 wow those LEDs make that picture a tad painful to look at lol. I think I prefer ambient white/purple/blue lighting over a strong blue. But the actinics make the corals look the best. I wonder if I can get a blue one shipped here. to repeat my question how do you offer it the starfish? whole starfish in there to dine over a period of weeks? 100th post! Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 wow those LEDs make that picture a tad painful to look at lol. I think I prefer ambient white/purple/blue lighting over a strong blue. But the actinics make the corals look the best. I wonder if I can get a blue one shipped here. to repeat my question how do you offer it the starfish? whole starfish in there to dine over a period of weeks? I'm just grabbing an astrea starfish from my big tank and dropping 1 in front of it. It jumps right on um. Just fed her for the second time and she still eating the second one now about 4hrs later. Link to comment
DK_Reef Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 I'm just grabbing an astrea starfish from my big tank and dropping 1 in front of it. It jumps right on um. Just fed her for the second time and she still eating the second one now about 4hrs later. 1 leg or whole starfish Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 1 leg or whole starfish entire thing. If it was a bigger starfish I'd do a leg. Link to comment
matt frizz Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I'd cut off a leg and let it regen. That's what I've done. Seeing as I only have one now (i assume he won't last much longer w/out his mate) I don't know what I'm going to do. My plan was to have two starfish alive in the sump and cut off one leg at a time. Then buy a third chocolate chip, freeze him and cut off all the legs (1 per week) and then go back to the live ones to take one leg as they regen. I think that would have been a good system. It would work out to $30 initial investment (3 stars) and then $10 every month and a half to two months to keep them going. I'm pretty bummed out about mine getting caught in the vortech, I sure love these little guys. I thought if it was to die it would be from starvation rather than getting caught in a power head. It was sad to see the little guy hanging out like she was trying to escape so hard. Link to comment
DK_Reef Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I can get fairly big sea stars linckia for about $5 each. I wonder if I could train them to eat brittle star tube legs or even urchin legs? Link to comment
matt frizz Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I can get fairly big sea stars linckia for about $5 each. I wonder if I could train them to eat brittle star tube legs or even urchin legs? Apparently brittle stars scare harlequin shrimp and they won't eat them. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Apparently brittle stars scare harlequin shrimp and they won't eat them. brittle starfish never give up always trying to escape. astrea kinda go into shock. Link to comment
DK_Reef Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 anyone ever tried feeding them frozen legs then trying frozen brittle star legs? Link to comment
matt frizz Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 anyone ever tried feeding them frozen legs then trying frozen brittle star legs? I read that it's the spiky look of the stars that make them unappealing to harlequins. Not 100% though, it's worth a try. Link to comment
DK_Reef Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I read that it's the spiky look of the stars that make them unappealing to harlequins. Not 100% though, it's worth a try. I plan to try that along with a few other alternative echinoderm diets If they don't like then back to Comet Starfish Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 who doesn't like cyclopeeze. I think I'd eat that stuff... the harlequin just looks at it like...."wtf that aint no starfish yo" Link to comment
DK_Reef Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 there was this study I was reading about yesterday and they were experimenting with Harlequin shrimp, they wanted to breed them and see if they could wean to urchins, brittle stars, frozen coldwater starfish and ultimately some artificial food. It was pretty neat I will have to find the link. Best part was it was here in Hawaii and the state denied their permit to import starfish lol My plan was to try helmet urhcins, they can't flip back over and are easy to collect, I will put some in the back chambers feed them algae sheets and when needed put one in the display (turned over so their tube feet are exposed and they have quite a bit lol) and watch if the Harlequin has a feeding response and starts eating. Then remove the urchin when they are done. I think one urchin or so a week would seem sufficient. Link to comment
danthenewreefman Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 people with first hand experience: Do you think harlys get more active when hungry? Link to comment
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