Looking for those with Harlequins

[Brewmaster1]

I am trying to find out some info on Harlequins. I am not sure of the ammount of flow they can handle? Also if I do a spieces only tank for a pair, what would be a nice size nano I could do? I was thinking of modding a 10g to a AIO tank. Maybe a chromis or two.

 

[charlesr1958]

A low to moderate water flow would best suit them. A ten gallon tank is also a very good size for a pair but I've kept pairs in as little as half a gallon.

The Care & Breeding of Harlequin Shrimp

Chuck

 

[Brewmaster1]

Thank you for the reply. Uh.. dare I ask if you are the Chuck? I see you are in the Philippines.

 

[charlesr1958]

Very welcome, and yup, that be me...lol

Chuck

 

[Brewmaster1]

AH, very nice. A pleasure to chat with you. I have some more questions for you if you are willing. I sent you a PM but we can talk in the thread for others to benifit if you would like.


I see now you got the PM.

 

[Brewmaster1]

Okay, I have a Bio Cube right now. I want to have the Harlequins have a tank almost all to them. Now I have a 10 and I am going to do an AIO out of it. I have a micro jet pump right now to put in it. It will do about 75 GPH. Is this suffecent in your opinion? I will keep it simple and just run some filter floss and carbon. I am just not sure how dirty these little guys are. I know that they keep the star alive untill the end, so that is nice.

The LFS only had one Harlequin for me to purchase. So Iwant to add another down the road when they can get me another one. I have tryed to look at the one I have now to try to sex it but I was not sucessfull. I looked under the tail and I didn't see any spots on the underside but it didn't look yellowish either.

Can you tell me the life span?

What temp water do they like?

I think I understand the sexing part. Please excuse the lack of technical trems but the propulation system (legs under the tail) will have the spots on them.

 

[charlesr1958]

The setup you have and its equipment should do just fine for a single pair. It is best to keep the tank's temperature right around 82, a bit higher or lower is okay. (80-84).
The pleopods (paddle like appendages under the abdomen/tail) are much larger and broader in the females as this is where the eggs are attached to after spawning. The males will appear much differently as shown in the photos within the article with their abdomen being either white or yellowish in color. As adults, the females are generaly quite a bit larger than the males also.
Its very important that you introduce the opposite sex with the one you have as same sex pairs will usualy fight constantly unless they have a huge tank to set up their own territorys in.
The life span of the harlequins, and most other Caridean shrimp for that matter is usualy but a few years at most. Keeping good water quality and with proper feeding I would expect them to live roughly three, maybe four years. How long they live will of course also depend on how old they are when you buy them.

Chuck

 

[Brewmaster1]

Thank you,

Well it sounds like I need to find a female then. That's to bad that they only last about three years. Are they picky about the other sex? What I mean is, will it be a toss up as to wether or not my male will take to the female I get.

On the feeding of them, Does it really matter as to what method I choose to use? I am still not sure if I want to have another tank just for a few stars to donate thier limbs, but if that is the route I choose then what are the chances that my Harleys will go for just a limb?

Do you visit Reef Central?

 

[charlesr1958]

A single female will be very receptive of a male but to be safe, its best to introduce the male at the far end of the tank away from the female and let them find each other rather than dumping the male right on top of her...lol She may ward him off at first, but they will work it out.

The shrimp will take a single limb very readily and I would suggest using the "choc. chip" starfish as they are the easiest to care for since they can be fed chunks of fresh fish meat and a single limb will last the shrimp for quite some time.

I only visit the invert section of RC and don't spend a great deal of time there at all. Just too crowded...lol

Chuck

 

[Brewmaster1]

Well best I can tell I have a male. It sure would be nice to see a pair in person so I could see the dif. in front of me.

I have added a whole Choc. Chip for him now. He is having fun riding the star around and eating holes in it. I suspect that the star will last a long time.

 

[Brewmaster1]

Is it normal for them to leave the star for a while then go back?

 

[charlesr1958]

Sure, mine used to wander away for a short awhile only to take up the "attack" again.

Chuck

 

[Brewmaster1]

Have you sucsesfully bred them yet? I am toying with the idea of breeding them. Do you have a good source of info on them for me to do some studying?

Is there a way I should setup the rock work in thier own tank? Should I give them a cave or an overhang for them to call home?

 

[charlesr1958]

Nope, still trying and can only get them up to the ten day mark. I believe the issue is at that stage of their development they need a different food source, which a Lab that does breed them has figured out but refuses to give away their trade secret so they can corner the market on farm raised harlequins.

As long as there are no fish in the same tank, which would scare the shrimp by having movement going past the shrimp, the shrimp really don't need any cover. I keep mine in a little tank with just a single rock for them to stand on.

Chuck

 

[Brewmaster1]

I have no idea but, the first thing that comes to mind might be phyto or zoo plankton.
Who is doing farm raised?

A little rock. So how much Rock would you say is needed for them in a spiece only tank to properly filter the water column? Say 5-10 gallons, would 2-3 Lb of LR do?

 

[travis_]

would harleqins work out at all in a large reef aquarium? With fish? Plus I don't want to release a choco ship star in there cause they are not safe. But did i understand corectlly that you can cut off a leg of the starfish and feed it to them? What about if I had a quiet corner set up for them in my 100 gal?

thanks,

 

[charlesr1958]

I forgot what lab it was, but some other hobbyist in the states works there and told me about it all, without being able to tell me the food source/type of course...lol
You can put however much rock you like or feel the tank needs, the shrimp are not going to mind one way or the other.
Yes, these shrimp do very well in large reef tanks, as long as there are no predators of course. I too would not want to release a choc. chip starfish in a reef tank either and would instead use a single arm at a time, but even then, don't let the starfish arm get away from you as it could regenerate a whole new starfish in due time.

Chuck

 

[Brewmaster1]

Well I am going to go look at another Harlequin today I hope it is a female.

That is pretty crazy that the limb could spawn a whole new starfish.

I did release a whole CC into my reef and was worried about it doing some damage but the Harlequin keeps it in check. It was roaming quite a bit at first but now I think it knows it is under attack and it pretty much sits there moving ever so slowly. It has not gone as much as an inch in the last 24 hrs. It is still alive though.

 

[travis_]

Well I am going to go look at another Harlequin today I hope it is a female.

That is pretty crazy that the limb could spawn a whole new starfish.

I did release a whole CC into my reef and was worried about it doing some damage but the Harlequin keeps it in check. It was roaming quite a bit at first but now I think it knows it is under attack and it pretty much sits there moving ever so slowly. It has not gone as much as an inch in the last 24 hrs. It is still alive though.

That sounds almost cruel. The starfish suffering like that. Would some look at this practice and animal abuse? The last thing I want is Pamela Anderson knocking on my door, well wait a sec. maybe that wouldn't be so bad

 

[matts125]

as for water flow in your tank, I have kept a harlequin in my 30'' cube for 2 years now and I have just over 10,000 gph flow...
as long as your flow is random and not jets (2500gph through one 3/4'' nozzle) they do just fine..

the toughest thing about this specimen is keeping it fed, they will starve to death in a matter of a week or so if no star fish are available to eat...

hope this helps...
matt