CGNano Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 I'm very excited. He's going to be $25.00 and i'm getting him a Chocolate Chip Starfish to eat. Can anyone tell me of their experiences with them? By the way, this isn't just some impulse buy, I did my research and had one special ordered. Link to comment
Duncan Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 IMO, coolest shrimp. I always want to do a harlequin tank. But the starfish thing is too troublesome for me. I heard that they do better in pair. Please post pics as I'm really interested about your new shrimp. Link to comment
CGNano Posted March 31, 2006 Author Share Posted March 31, 2006 My LFS didn't have pairs on their availability list, so I just got one single one. I'm looking forward to him highly. It has been one thing i've wanted to get for about two years, and now that my tank is doing excellent and my skill and knowledge is high enough, i'll be able to take the plunge. Link to comment
Caesar777 Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 Once the starfish is fully decimated and collapses, try to excise any good arms (if any) and freeze them. If you can get the shrimp to eat frozen food, then he and you are set for life; just buy a choc-chip star, cut into five, and freeze. (Stars can be fragged--it's natural. ) Link to comment
reefbuzz Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 I've had one for two months now. I wanted two but had the same trouble finding a pair. Everything I've read about them says that they prefer a dimly lit tank, however mine's in a bright 19 gal invert tank chillin' under the rockwork (xenia, euphylia, acropora, zoanthids, shrooms) and the only other sessile brethen is a porceline crab; No fish = no stress for these guys as harlequins take DAYS to finish off one arm of a starfish. Seriously, days and days later and they're still eating it and the starfish is still alive. I bought three or four chocolate chips and a ton of the little herbivorous stars that are about the size of a dime (asterina something...) and I keep them in a separate tank. Every week I move one into casa de harlequin, let him work on him for a few days, then move the starfish back for recover and switch up a new starfish the next week. Remember they need to eat alot to stay healthy during molting so don't just feed once a month IMO. I think it may be kind of a high nutrient load for a nano but with regular water changes and live starfish, or maybe just a ton of the little ones for the harlequin to eat at his leisure... My bait and switch, one arm at a time approach is working so far so I recommend it and I've only lost one chocolate chip because I let him get half eaten (...which took almost a week for the shrimp) and he didn't make it. Gotta try the frozen idea next time but I'm thinking it might be harsher on the system since my stars stay alive the whole time and don't cause a spike. Good luck with the harlequin. They are extremely mesmorizing to watch. Enjoy. Link to comment
CGNano Posted April 2, 2006 Author Share Posted April 2, 2006 I picked him up last night =) He's about half-an-inch long. He looks like a helicoptor when he swims around the tank. I'm picking him up a Chocolate Chip Star tommorow =* Link to comment
p.o.t.u.s Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 I've had one for two months now. I wanted two but had the same trouble finding a pair. Everything I've read about them says that they prefer a dimly lit tank, however mine's in a bright 19 gal invert tank chillin' under the rockwork (xenia, euphylia, acropora, zoanthids, shrooms) and the only other sessile brethen is a porceline crab; No fish = no stress for these guys as harlequins take DAYS to finish off one arm of a starfish. Seriously, days and days later and they're still eating it and the starfish is still alive. I bought three or four chocolate chips and a ton of the little herbivorous stars that are about the size of a dime (asterina something...) and I keep them in a separate tank. Every week I move one into casa de harlequin, let him work on him for a few days, then move the starfish back for recover and switch up a new starfish the next week. Remember they need to eat alot to stay healthy during molting so don't just feed once a month IMO. I think it may be kind of a high nutrient load for a nano but with regular water changes and live starfish, or maybe just a ton of the little ones for the harlequin to eat at his leisure... My bait and switch, one arm at a time approach is working so far so I recommend it and I've only lost one chocolate chip because I let him get half eaten (...which took almost a week for the shrimp) and he didn't make it. Gotta try the frozen idea next time but I'm thinking it might be harsher on the system since my stars stay alive the whole time and don't cause a spike. Good luck with the harlequin. They are extremely mesmorizing to watch. Enjoy. I've thought about getting a pair...but the feeding seems somewhat morbid...though it is what they do... Link to comment
Fishfreak218 Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 I was going to get one but now that i have to but 5-6 damsels a week for my Leaf Fish.. id rather not spend the extra $$$ on feeding them Link to comment
bil2k Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 I've thought about getting a pair...but the feeding seems somewhat morbid...though it is what they do... I can see letting them devour the whoel thing, but letting it eat something half way and then recovering only to be eaten half way again seems a big cruel. Link to comment
Caesar777 Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Fishfreak, is that a Rhinopias or Taenianotus? 5-6 damsels sounds like a lot of food. Link to comment
hendrix Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 I've had one for two months now. I wanted two but had the same trouble finding a pair. Everything I've read about them says that they prefer a dimly lit tank, however mine's in a bright 19 gal invert tank chillin' under the rockwork (xenia, euphylia, acropora, zoanthids, shrooms) and the only other sessile brethen is a porceline crab; No fish = no stress for these guys as harlequins take DAYS to finish off one arm of a starfish. Seriously, days and days later and they're still eating it and the starfish is still alive. I bought three or four chocolate chips and a ton of the little herbivorous stars that are about the size of a dime (asterina something...) and I keep them in a separate tank. Every week I move one into casa de harlequin, let him work on him for a few days, then move the starfish back for recover and switch up a new starfish the next week. Remember they need to eat alot to stay healthy during molting so don't just feed once a month IMO. I think it may be kind of a high nutrient load for a nano but with regular water changes and live starfish, or maybe just a ton of the little ones for the harlequin to eat at his leisure... My bait and switch, one arm at a time approach is working so far so I recommend it and I've only lost one chocolate chip because I let him get half eaten (...which took almost a week for the shrimp) and he didn't make it. Gotta try the frozen idea next time but I'm thinking it might be harsher on the system since my stars stay alive the whole time and don't cause a spike. Good luck with the harlequin. They are extremely mesmorizing to watch. Enjoy. WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS CRUEL TO THE STARFISH. ALL THAT FOR SOME SHRIMP? Link to comment
st4tic Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 go to africa and get devoured by a lion Link to comment
hendrix Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Hendrix go hug a tree wow real funny ha ha , how original you are so hilarious......jackass Link to comment
neanderthalman Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Welcome to nano-reef hendrix. Feeding starfish to harlequin shrimp is as it happens in nature. It is not abnormally cruel, this is nature. Link to comment
hendrix Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Welcome to nano-reef hendrix. Feeding starfish to harlequin shrimp is as it happens in nature. It is not abnormally cruel, this is nature. i agree but i was just commenting on how he should just let the shrimp finiah him off rather then letting the starfish get eaten half way every single time. Link to comment
CGNano Posted April 8, 2006 Author Share Posted April 8, 2006 Starfish don't care. They can regrow their limbs. Link to comment
Caesar777 Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 You know, my coworker said, upon seeing our harlequin and choc. chip star: "That starfish must hate his life right now." Frankly, I'll bet it sucks, crawling around with what's basically a parasite riding around on you. I'm sure it's uncomfortable, like an itch or pain or tingling or something along those lines.... But as was pointed out, it's what happens in nature, exactly as that. And, as was also noted, stars can lose limbs and regrow them. I'm sure their feeling of pain isn't as intense and complex as in that for higher animals, though I'd still prefer freezing a star and giving the shrimp a leg each week, but some don't go for it, and the dead flesh will rot quickly, unlike a live star. I don't know, nature can be cruel sometimes. Link to comment
jeremai Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Starfish don't care. They can regrow their limbs. Regrowing an entire limb is more work than most stars in our tanks care to invest. It seems like keeping a 'herd' of starfish that the shrimp could tend to would make more sense - they've been known to nibble a bit from each and then move to another; no sense killing part of your food source. Link to comment
Fishfreak218 Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 Fishfreak, is that a Rhinopias or Taenianotus? 5-6 damsels sounds like a lot of food. i have 2 of them... so 2-3 each... and they get those every weekend.. during the week i give them gut loaded Ghost shrimp.... Link to comment
Caesar777 Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 Damn it, which species is it?! It's easy, just tell me the price you paid or show me a full shot. Link to comment
CGNano Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 I saw a Rhinopias for $600.00 once at an aquarium store in North Carolina. Link to comment
neanderthalman Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 got any pics yet CG? Link to comment
Caesar777 Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Yes, they run $300-600 wholesale for Rhinopias, depending on color and frilliness. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.