Harlequin shrimp food

[turtle1937]

I have had a harlequin for a week now it’s eatin all the tiny starfish I had so I decided to put a chocolate chip starfish in with it and also buy another harlequin to pair up well the og shrimp is on the hunt but I think the starfish is too big for him and the new shrimp is staying up in the rock not helping lol is this starfish too big for the harlequin should I cut a leg off?

 

[P-Dub]

Buy some linckia stars, 3 or so, and chop them in half and one chop all arms off and let those grow out. Feed them the chopped halves as needed. The idea would be to let the chopped stars grow out in a refugium unmolested to have a steady supply of food for them. You may need more. Chocolate chip stars are generally a bit too large bor the shrimp and cutting an arm will work so long as the shrimp are of sufficient size to wrangle the arms. Those shrimp look pretty small for even a single arm off that star. Linckia are, generally, cheaper and regenerate arms quicker, at least in my experience.

 

[adromero]

In my experience harlequins have no problem with a chocolate chip. The shrimp would usually poison the starfish. After that, the shrimp would take it’s time eating the starfish. Sometimes it takes awhile for the shrimp to find the starfish.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Chocolate chips cheaper and beefier than Linkia. This will keep the shrimp busy !!

 

[P-Dub]

Chocolate chips cheaper and beefier than Linkia. This will keep the shrimp busy !!

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. It appears that chocolate's ARE cheaper. My harlequin's never could tackle the chocolate chip in my tank and mottled lynckia stars were free from the wild. I'm looking at the size of the shrimp relative to the star and that's a tall order. At least they are trying.

In my experience harlequins have no problem with a chocolate chip. The shrimp would usually poison the starfish. After that, the shrimp would take it’s time eating the starfish. Sometimes it takes awhile for the shrimp to find the starfish.

Harlequin shrimp have no known toxins. They mechanically devour their prey.

 

[ADAM]

Most articles I have read say that young harlequins should be offered Linkia and that adults prefer Aternia. Although they’re likely the same as humans, we prefer Filet Mignon but when you’re real hungry Spam can taste just good!

 

[sp1187]

mine eats any starfish in the tank. usually asterinas when I can get them. when I can't chocolate stars. size doesn't matter. took 3 weeks to eat a large one.

 

[Bbfishb81]

Linkia are also a little harder to keep then chocolate chip stars.