gdlyorchi Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Yes, just make sure you watch the star closely after a couple weeks and take it out when it starts falling apart. IMO harleys are the coolest shrimp one can buy for a tank, you wont be dissapointed. +1!! Link to comment
Deleted User 4 Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 I got mine maybe 2 weeks ago and they're already my favorite thing in the tank. Cool!! Link to comment
hoyuen Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 anyone know if those white pellet starfish leaves behind contribute to nitrate?? Link to comment
hoyuen Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 my female walked onto the top rock last night. I realized her belly was fully with babies. and she's hatching them!! I am watching it right now... too bad only the moonlight is on so i can't do video. Link to comment
gdlyorchi Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 that is a gray pic of your female harlequin!!! it would be cool if you can breed them! Link to comment
hoyuen Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 that is a gray pic of your female harlequin!!! it would be cool if you can breed them! i don't have the experience and the money to build a breeding tank unfortunately D: I hate to watch them all become nem and fish food. also, does anyone know if i need a quick water change? Link to comment
hoyuen Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 happened again. this time I happened to be there and ready my harlequin shrimps giving birth! happens at 1:25 1 Link to comment
poolboy8888 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 happened again. this time I happened to be there and ready my harlequin shrimps giving birth! happens at 1:25 That was so cool! Ive never seen that. I dont know the odds of raising them but it is cool to be there for the action. On a side note I saw some harleys at petco yesterday and was tempted but I knew better. Link to comment
Rehype Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 My new Hawaiian harley munching on a asterina.. 1 Link to comment
howze01 Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 My new Hawaiian harley munching on a asterina.. So sick!!! I'm searching for a pair now. In other news, I just noticed my normal pair has eggs! I was going to trade them in on the Hawaiian pair but I'm not so sure now.... I'm sure my fish and corals will appreciate the little snack! Link to comment
Ro-Boat Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 happened again. this time I happened to be there and ready my harlequin shrimps giving birth! happens at 1:25 wow that was pretty awesome to see. Thanks for sharing! Now I want a pair alas, will have to wait for a while Link to comment
gabe_j Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 seriously rehype, why do you gotta get all the cool ####? i just got a harley but just the normal ones. i didn't realize there was the hawaiian variety. Link to comment
21093r53 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Why you have the whole star in there? They gonna eat it all? I usually just freeze a CC star and cut off portions as needed.... Link to comment
21093r53 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 poor pic but its feeding time! his lady didn't want to smile for the camera she had her own piece which was bigger Link to comment
jT415Gz Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'm knocking the dust off this OLD THREAD and BUMPING it ^^^^^ Bought and Elegant today and a chocolate chip treat! Pics will come later today. Good 9. OR you can just... check my thread and read the couple of last posts on page 2. Link to comment
carlyle Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I would very much like to add a harlequin to my tank once it is fully established, and was hoping owners could provide me with some insight. I have doubts that my tank would be suitably large enough to support a single starfish, but perhaps I am wrong. I've purchased a 6-gallon Aquastyle by Eheim, at 14"H x 12"W x 12"D. Since the harlequin would eventually be the main set piece, the layout of the live rock would definitely include a lair, and lots of climbing surface. I do not have a sump or a second tank to keep live starfish, however. It sounds like linckia needs lots of open sandy space and chocolate chips are not reef safe (I'm inheriting several nice corals from a friend and do not want to risk the chocolate chip escaping the harlequin and eating anything). Do you keep corals in your harley tank? Do the starfish ever have the opportunity to cause damage, or are they too zonked-out from the constant harley attacks? Do they die off faster without access to a wide sand bed, or does this simply not matter (since the harleys are eating them, I'd imagine they don't have much time to feed). Has anyone had any luck with astropecten? I would imagine they could try and retreat into the sand to escape a harlequin, but I'm not sure. They are reef-safe and seem to be considerably less expensive than linckia, which is why I ask. Lastly, do local shops sell or give away asterinea? It sounds like a few folks have had success feeding 'em to their harlequins, and I would imagine that their smaller size would make asterinea more ideal for a six-gallon setup. But then, I assume that I simply do not have the room to support a harlequin, and that I'll have to shelf my half-hoped plans, haha. Thank you in advance for any responses! Link to comment
patback Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Get small stars and a pair f Harley's. my single male Harley is not strong enough to control a medium cc star at all. Typically, since Harley's work together on one star, they overpower it and eat it alive. They stars will become "paralyzed" from the attack and not escape. Just watch to make sure the star doesn't die I a tank that small. My harlequin has no interest once the star dies, and it will quickly polite a tank that small. The starfish will never be living long enough to need to be established. Just set up a small tank.($5 "critter keeper" from petco) 1 rock, cheap heater, and an airstone. Pull off its legs. That'll keep the star out of your tank and alive long enough to feed. Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 You won't be keeping any starfish alive in a 6 gallon tank beside a micro brittle or an astrinia* star. Further mor I'd never recommend having a harlequin in such a small set up. The consumption of stars ( others and my self usually feed chocolate chip stars) puts out debtritus and other junk that will need a larger water volume and more rock to deal with than a 6 gal can handle. Personally I'd wait until you have a larger setup running. I think you should read this thread from the beginning it seems as though you think they live symbiotically and that not the case. Harlequin shrimp devour stars like no tomorrow. Link to comment
carlyle Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Get small stars and a pair f Harley's. my single male Harley is not strong enough to control a medium cc star at all. Typically, since Harley's work together on one star, they overpower it and eat it alive. They stars will become "paralyzed" from the attack and not escape. Just watch to make sure the star doesn't die I a tank that small. My harlequin has no interest once the star dies, and it will quickly polite a tank that small. The starfish will never be living long enough to need to be established. Just set up a small tank.($5 "critter keeper" from petco) 1 rock, cheap heater, and an airstone. Pull off its legs. That'll keep the star out of your tank and alive long enough to feed. Thanks for the info! Have you tried this before? I'd imagine that I could, in theory, put a small star into the 6-gal and then, if I'm leaving for work or something and the star is looking near-death, remove it and store it temporarily in a makeshift tank. If this is indeed a viable option, I suppose I could just leave a 5-gallon bucket of heated salt water running at all times for water changes, and store the starfish in there for a few hours until I get home from work (and testing the water before doing any changes, of course). You won't be keeping any starfish alive in a 6 gallon tank beside a micro brittle or an astrinia* star. Further mor I'd never recommend having a harlequin in such a small set up. The consumption of stars ( others and my self usually feed chocolate chip stars) puts out debtritus and other junk that will need a larger water volume and more rock to deal with than a 6 gal can handle. Personally I'd wait until you have a larger setup running. I think you should read this thread from the beginning it seems as though you think they live symbiotically and that not the case. Harlequin shrimp devour stars like no tomorrow. I've read the thread and apologize if my understanding seems unclear in my previous post; the appeal of the harlequin for me personally is that its beauty is matched only by its hideously specialized feeding habits, almost like having the monster from Alien as a pet. I expected that most responses would strongly advise me against purchasing a harlequin (let alone a pair) because of the possibility of pollution, and I'm surprised that, at least so far, there seems to be a complete divide. That said, even if several folks agreed unanimously that my six-gal would be suitable, I wouldn't even consider acting upon it until I have more firsthand experience. I've read elsewhere that sharp microscopic filaments released from the starfish can actually cause damage to certain corals; is this the detritus you're referring to? I assume there isn't an invert of some sort that would feed on these particles in great enough quantity No one in this thread, as far as I recall, mentioned anything about damage to corals as a result of these little shards, though; I'll have to look up where I read that. Link to comment
patback Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Those shards of hard shell are mostly from common starfish. After my about ~10th starfish never being acclimated or even floated, only once have I had one die early. Feeding 1 leg a week or so would be no different than feeding half a silverside... But it is a small tank. I would advise not keeping anything else requiring meaty foods. Personally, I don't see a problem with it, but do think you should get more of an experienced "feel" for what type of food will raise what amount of nitrates so that you can keep your tank thriving with your weekly Maintenance. Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I'd reconsider and only put one in a ten minimum. The filaments are just one of the pollutants I'm talking about. They're amazing shrimp and my pair lived for almost three years and got quite large. They where able to eat a whole chocolate chip within 2-3 days. Note: a CCstar can get about 3" diameter. Link to comment
Mstefa1 Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Is it best to feed a leg at a time or just toss an entire starfish in? Has anyone had any trouble with the starfish bothering corals? How long can these guys go without food - assuming you didn't get it fed. Link to comment
19jeffro83 Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I would feed mine about two whole CC stars a month. I'd give them the whole star because mine were large. Link to comment
Lauras nanos Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I am always fascinated by the beauty of these creatures at the store but their Jeffrey Dahmer eating habits always makes me walk away without getting one. I do wonder if in the ocean they consume the whole star or if they take a bite or two and the star gets away to regenerate whereas in our closed system this can't happen. Does anyone know? Link to comment
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