# My harlequin sucks at hunting.



## Hoyuen (Jun 23, 2011)

So today I bought a harlequin shrimp and a large chocolate chip starfish. (luckily I don't have corals yet)

However, i can tell the shrimp have a tough time stopping the starfish because it's either too weak or just bad at it. What can I do other than getting a smaller starfish??


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## wildexpressions (May 3, 2010)

I like chocolate chip stars but it would not have been something I would have chosen for a nano. They eat small invert's and soft corals if they get hungry.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

wildexpressions said:


> I like chocolate chip stars but it would not have been something I would have chosen for a nano. They eat small invert's and soft corals if they get hungry.


The chocolate starfish is food for the harlequin.

Hoyuen, delicate but amazing creatures. I've spent a lot of time watching them in others tanks, and I have a couple magazine articles which document their behavior in detail. If you're ever around the area I'd give you one. It's like a TFH mag from the 80's.

Harlequins are usually shown hunting large starfish in pairs, not alone. Can you imagine how hard it would be to flip over a five armed prey, alone?! every time you pull one or two legs off, they stick back on something before you can get the next one up. It simply would be near impossible for one shrimp alone to flip the starfish on its back.

You can cut up the starfish, but you'll need to research that in detail.


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## Cintax (Jun 16, 2011)

I read an article about a guy who is trying to breed Harlequins. He has several feeder star fish once a week, he simply cuts an arm off to feed the shrimp. I guess he has enough that he seldom ends up killing a starfish before it's limb grows back. It's sort of cruel but not much more so than raising feeder fish.

Good resource here.

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/harlequinshrimp.html

Will is correct, they are happier as a pair. You're feeder starfish is quite a bit larger than the shrimp which also might be a reason for his inability to stop and kill the starfish.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Cintax said:


> I guess he has enough that he seldom ends up killing a starfish before it's limb grows back. It's sort of cruel but not much more so than raising feeder fish.


In one sense it's akin to fragging live corals. You damage/kill it to benefit something. Especially similar to fragging corals to feed filefish or coral eaters.


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## wildexpressions (May 3, 2010)

Will Hayward said:


> The chocolate starfish is food for the harlequin.


Doh! ...lol. I completely missed the obvious there didn't I?


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## Hoyuen (Jun 23, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the comments!

Will, after reading about the "pair", I took the suggestion to heart, went out today and bought another one (my GF also wanted one). They seem to like each other very much. never few inch apart from each other since I put the other one in. They are now standing on top of the starfish (whom I flipped over because my shrimps are infants)

Anyone had experience with freezing the starfish and cutting it into bits for feeding? Evenually I would want to put corals into the tank and these chocolate are not reef safe. Also if one dies prematurely i will have to go buy another one to replace so that I doesn't foul the water. Freezing it and feeding it on occasion does seem like the most logical choice.

I don't mind the $5 every 2 weeks because it's pet food! Very entertaining pet food!


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

An article I mentioned said they won't eat or take interest in anything that isn't live.

Formosa stars are probably a better option, though a much smaller meal.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Just to add: I believe the shrimps actually paralyze the starfish prior to eating it, which should make flipping it much easier.


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## Hoyuen (Jun 23, 2011)

if i keep my starfish in a seperate bucket. and only cut off one leg at a time in order to feed it. Would the leg still be considered "alive"? (if the shrimp only eats live starfish)


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

You should look into starfish propagation. Just need sharp clean blades and some liquids to encourage healing. If you cut part of the 'brain' with the leg, it should survive.


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