Coolest Inverts

[chrissaysyes]

They dont have to have starfish to eat. You can feed them other things as well.

Where did you read this? I have also read it once, but the book I found it in is fairly outdated. I have never elsewhere found that they can be fed other foods, besides starfish and urchins.

Well, I dont know for sure where I read that they will willingly accept foods other than star fish but I have read it as I almost bought a pair because of that. Obviously it's difficult to get them off of star fish since their success in captivity is so low but I've seen it mentioned in a lot of marine invert profiles for harlequin shrimp that they can be tricked into feeding on frozen meats by weening them off of star fish.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

They dont have to have starfish to eat. You can feed them other things as well. There is a good chance that it will kill any star fish in your tank though. Pom-pom crabs are pretty gnarly but not exactly reef safe.

As far as i know, they eat linkia stars tubefeet and urchins in the wild, so they NEED starfish or urchins to survive. I have never seen a harlequin shrimp eat anything besides those. The Pom Pom crabs are actually pretty reef safe, its just the anemones on its claws might irritate your coral from time to time.

 

[Lynden]

I can understand there being the exception from time to time (I've seen longnose filefish feed greedily on flakes) but to anyone that is thinking about purchasing these shrimp expect them to need starfish. Chocolate chip stars work good as food.

 

[chrissaysyes]

They dont have to have starfish to eat. You can feed them other things as well. There is a good chance that it will kill any star fish in your tank though. Pom-pom crabs are pretty gnarly but not exactly reef safe.

As far as i know, they eat linkia stars tubefeet and urchins in the wild, so they NEED starfish or urchins to survive. I have never seen a harlequin shrimp eat anything besides those. The Pom Pom crabs are actually pretty reef safe, its just the anemones on its claws might irritate your coral from time to time.

I would think their anemones could do more than just irritate soft corals, especially in a tank this small where a lot of the corals would possibly be arriving as nano frags.

 

[shibby]

They dont have to have starfish to eat. You can feed them other things as well.

Where did you read this? I have also read it once, but the book I found it in is fairly outdated. I have never elsewhere found that they can be fed other foods, besides starfish and urchins.

its written in marine inverts (where i read it anyways).... not sure who by but the fish version is by scott.w.michael, i think a dr somebody or other writes the nvert equivelent.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

They dont have to have starfish to eat. You can feed them other things as well. There is a good chance that it will kill any star fish in your tank though. Pom-pom crabs are pretty gnarly but not exactly reef safe.

As far as i know, they eat linkia stars tubefeet and urchins in the wild, so they NEED starfish or urchins to survive. I have never seen a harlequin shrimp eat anything besides those. The Pom Pom crabs are actually pretty reef safe, its just the anemones on its claws might irritate your coral from time to time.

I would think their anemones could do more than just irritate soft corals, especially in a tank this small where a lot of the corals would possibly be arriving as nano frags.

Not sure as I have never kept one but its not like the crab will spend a lot of time sticking its claws into corals. It would only be if they happend to walk under one that there would be any contact. Just a "guestimate" on my part thoughm not based on direct observation.

I found the artical in PFK on the Clown/harlequin shrimp which suggests propagating Asterina starfish as a food source. According to the article they will eat the whole of these starfish rather then just the feet (which is all they eat of the bigger starfish). According to the article the authors shrimp ate up to 10 asterina per day so they need a lot of asterina. Then if anything ever happens to them you are left with an ever increasing asternia population.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Not sure as I have never kept one but its not like the crab will spend a lot of time sticking its claws into corals. It would only be if they happend to walk under one that there would be any contact. Just a "guestimate" on my part thoughm not based on direct observation.

I found the artical in PFK on the Clown/harlequin shrimp which suggests propagating Asterina starfish as a food source. According to the article they will eat the whole of these starfish rather then just the feet (which is all they eat of the bigger starfish). According to the article the authors shrimp ate up to 10 asterina per day so they need a lot of asterina. Then if anything ever happens to them you are left with an ever increasing asternia population.

Still seems a bit too risky for me as far as the pom-poms go.

Thanks for mentioning that about the aterina, I was about to ask. I've read that they only eat the legs of other stars in order to keep them alive (I also read that they will bring the star fish food to ensure it's survival for future feasts). I've been meaning to find out more about asterina stars though, I always seem them all over the walls of tanks at my lfs, almost bought a few just for something entertaining to look at on the glass. Are there any cons to them?

 

[hubbard_shark]

i have a pom pom crab in my reef tank, and he's never started any problems. he hides most of the time, except during feeding when he comes out and walks around. mine spends most of its time on the sand and low in the rocks, not up high.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Awesome to hear, sucks that he doesnt stay out more, I bet he's fun to watch!

 

[hubbard_shark]

yea hes awesome. hes out at night walking around, doin his lil wave.
there cool inverts, but if ur looking for sumthin thats gonna stay out, wouldnt recommend them. ill go week or so before i see him again, just cuz of his size

 

[chrissaysyes]

same deal with my porcelain crab, and even if I do see him I usually have to try pretty hard. He usssseeeed to have a little cave under the nem where he stayed and you could usually spot him eating nem poop but he packed his bags and moved elsewhere.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Not sure as I have never kept one but its not like the crab will spend a lot of time sticking its claws into corals. It would only be if they happend to walk under one that there would be any contact. Just a "guestimate" on my part thoughm not based on direct observation.

I found the artical in PFK on the Clown/harlequin shrimp which suggests propagating Asterina starfish as a food source. According to the article they will eat the whole of these starfish rather then just the feet (which is all they eat of the bigger starfish). According to the article the authors shrimp ate up to 10 asterina per day so they need a lot of asterina. Then if anything ever happens to them you are left with an ever increasing asternia population.

Still seems a bit too risky for me as far as the pom-poms go.

Thanks for mentioning that about the aterina, I was about to ask. I've read that they only eat the legs of other stars in order to keep them alive (I also read that they will bring the star fish food to ensure it's survival for future feasts). I've been meaning to find out more about asterina stars though, I always seem them all over the walls of tanks at my lfs, almost bought a few just for something entertaining to look at on the glass. Are there any cons to them?

They multiply like rabbits. If you have ever had a FW tank with a pest snail problem then its much the same thing. The harlequin shrimp do eat the whole of these starfish apprently.