Harlequin Shrimp questions (food/tank size)

[colourmop]

just wondering, will a harlequin shrimp be happy in a 12 gal? also will stuffs like clownfish or anemones bully it?
also, i know harlequin shrimp eat seastars, just wondering if they will eat Asterina seastars, i could get a ton of them from LFS for free and let them multiply in my fuge. if harlequin dont eat asterina seastars, can i keep a chocolate chip seastar in my fuge? 5gal plastic container with 10lb of LR and 3 inch of LS, TONS of cheato and 14 hours of light /day, connected to my 12gal.
btw, how often should i feed harlequin shrimps?
thanks very much

 

[dmjordan]

the asterias stars are good for when they are small and will also serve as a supplemental food but at adult size you will need to feed the harlequin a linckia about every month. harlequins are best if kept in mated pairs. as for the size of your tank....IMO they will do fine in a 12 gal tank. if you put them in a large tank you will never be able to see and appreciate the beauty of these shrimp.

 

[colourmop]

how about chocolate chip? those sell for 10 dollar here. also, will the chocolate chip kill all my corals before those harlequin shrimps beat him down?

 

[xdave]

They like chocolate chips. The shrimp will flip it over immediately and the star will not be able to go anywhere.

 

[ophiura]

I see no reason that they can't eat Asterina stars and they are recommended to those trying to remove these stars from tanks. It is a far more ecologically friendly choice for keeping these. The alternative is to get a small tank and keep chocolate chip stars, cutting off an arm as needed, and allowing them to regenerate. IMO, it is somewhat a shame to take a star like a Linckia, which faces huge collection pressures from this hobby and the souvenir trade, to feed to an animal that has such a specialized diet. That is my opinion, but I do wish people would consider it before keeping these shrimp., In addition, as many Linckia are already dying upon arrival at an LFS, you take a significant risk, IMO, introducing them to such a small tank. The risk of spiking the ammonia is not one to ignore, IMO.
If you have a constant supply of Asterina, I think that is the best option. After that, the chocolate chip stars, and finally Linckia (though I suggest freezing the Linckia and cutting off an arm as needed to "make the most" of a single star...there are some threads on this I believe).

 

[colourmop]

i thought those shrimps only eat 'live' seastars. (ther is no way for me to feed them linckia. maybe a chocolate once in a while as a big treat. but i found 2 tiny Asterina somewhere in my tank, just hope they will multiply fast enough :x

 

[ophiura]

People have now and then reported success with a piece of a thawed frozen star. So it would be worth a try perhaps. But you will no doubt need A LOT of Asterina stars so definitely make sure you have a constant supply!

 

[colourmop]

when i got those shrimps from LFS, they just killed a chocolate and start to eat it (they didnt flip it and start to eat from the center ) just wondering, how long can i wait until i feed them another chocolate?

 

[nigerbang]

I have wondered about this before..I was intrested in getting one and was wondering about that diet...Starfish only..seemed rather pricey as far as food would go..once a month?...maybe worth it then...thank you for all info

 

[colourmop]

yeah my LFS told me to feed them once a month. but it will take them a month to finish up a starfish