Let's talk about Harlequin shrimp - Page 3

clayw · 11/03/2009, 11:33 PM

ya, I plan on just keeping softies, maybe an LPS or two...I actually wanted to house a jawfish with them, but Im not sure how that will work out.

clayw · 11/03/2009, 11:36 PM

im sorry, I changed my mind on the jawfish yesterday, I dont know what I wrote that. What I meant to say was that I would like to keep 2 harleys, and 2 seahorses. But I know the horses may not work, what are your thoughts on that gk?

gkaquatic · 11/03/2009, 11:54 PM

sea horses are hard to keep not saying they are a un keepable but in a small tank i dont think its a good idea. but if u are really watch water quality and over lighting and too much current. most seahorses dont like a lot of light. none of the things needed for a seahorse is will affect the harlequins but if it were my opion go with a small pearly jawfish instead or something easier.

clayw · 11/03/2009, 11:56 PM

ya thats why i origanlly wanted a blue spot jawfish, but the 12g from cad is also rimless and jaws are jumpers, but i suppose i could just build a net for the tank.

gkaquatic · 11/04/2009, 12:16 AM

you could use egg crate and in my experience blue spots seem to be less jumpy then other jaws. we use egg crate at AT for pearly but not blue spot. never had a problem with them not to say that i wouldnt do a covering of some sort until it burrows or after about a week or two. you could also do some kind of goby or blenny that burrows. they have great personality and have less of a chance to jump.

clayw · 11/04/2009, 08:22 AM

I feel like the bsj could make it through the eggcrate but I'll use a mesh to build my cover I've done this before. Probably go with the bsj to be honest I like them alot I wanted one for my current tank but I already have 3 fish going in there and don't want four. I'll be getting my flaming prawn goby at the end of this week and my clowns in December when I move

buttons buster · 11/07/2009, 12:03 AM

What's the longest that one of you has had one?

gkaquatic · 11/08/2009, 03:38 PM

ive had mine for about a year and a half now. she's grown a lot since i first got her

buttons buster · 11/08/2009, 03:51 PM

ya It's pretty strange but I've had mine for a year and three months and it hasn't grown that much bigger. But I love my little guy

E.intheC · 11/08/2009, 04:22 PM

I can't wait to pick up a pair of them. Going to be great

JokerGirl · 11/08/2009, 07:27 PM

Not the best photos as they were taken under my actinics. I really should've gotten my tripod out.

Meet my semi-new male

Picked him up about a month ago. He was about half the size that he is now, and was completely missing a claw. He's definitely grown quite a bit!

The pair

The female

The male

BTW, I've had my female for a little over a year now.

E.intheC · 11/08/2009, 08:06 PM

those are great pics! Excellent coloration

buttons buster · 11/08/2009, 10:57 PM

ya those are beautiful

JokerGirl · 11/09/2009, 11:03 AM

Thanks

The actinics give them a neat, although unnatural, glow. It really makes the blue pop.

E.intheC · 11/20/2009, 10:15 AM

Very exciting news (well, for me anyway

)

Tonight there should be a new addition (pair of additions) to my tank and some new pictures for this thread.

gkaquatic · 11/20/2009, 06:18 PM

cant wait to see them hope the transfer goes good. i wish i had a pair! maybe one day.

Speckled Grouper · 11/20/2009, 07:05 PM

My Harlequin in action

E.intheC · 11/20/2009, 08:11 PM

..yeah, so I can't take decent pics of them.. they come out blurry

...

E.intheC · 11/25/2009, 10:41 PM

OK, so I picked up 2 of these guys last friday. Man, do they hide or what?

I just put a starfish in for them, but I'm curious.. how do you guys cut the arms? They're pretty tough! (Yes, I realize that's a weird question.)

clayw · 11/26/2009, 05:34 PM

sawzall does the trick.......

JK use a sharp butchers knife and just apply necessary pressure to the choppin spot ;-)

E.intheC · 11/26/2009, 05:38 PM

Yeah, I wasn't sure they'd be so tough to cut through. I mean, I don't have a decent set of knives nor a big set of biceps

but it shouldn't be that bad. Part of it was b/c I didn't want to use full force (and I felt a bit bad for the starfish)

clayw · 11/26/2009, 05:42 PM

definitly a much tougher "skin" than the eye seems to think. Ive cut a few the first one was for a class last year with a scalpul. Yes, it is sort of sad, youre harvesting somehting for its limbs, but its better than letting the whole thing die and be a waste for just a couple arms.
-clay

gkaquatic · 11/27/2009, 12:43 AM

coral cutters or a nice pair a scissors (meat cutting ones) is what i use. ive found that each star is different some are really tough and others not so much... not sure y.

as for two harlequins a whole star might be fine. they may consume the whole thing before it starts to rot, as long as its not a huge star.
try and see its worth a shot if u dont like chopping arms. but if anyone has just one harlequin a whole star at once is a waste.

unbreakable · 11/27/2009, 10:56 AM

has anyone noticed if the male sacrifices itself or the female eats the male when there hasnt been food for a while? i was about to feed them a starfish today when yesterday i noticed the male hanging out with the female more than usual.... this morning i find that the male is completely gone. this is the second time it happens and its always the female who stays alive

gkaquatic · 11/27/2009, 11:07 AM

never heard of the female eating the male. but the reason they might be dieing is that the male allows the female to eat more which causes him to starve. not sure though. it would be the case if u were feeding whole stars the are medium size because they could both eat at the same time.

11/08/2009, 04:22 PM	#60
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	I can't wait to pick up a pair of them. Going to be great __________________ -Eric

11/08/2009, 07:27 PM	#61
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Not the best photos as they were taken under my actinics. I really should've gotten my tripod out. Meet my semi-new male Picked him up about a month ago. He was about half the size that he is now, and was completely missing a claw. He's definitely grown quite a bit! The pair The female The male BTW, I've had my female for a little over a year now. __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

11/08/2009, 08:06 PM	#62
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	those are great pics! Excellent coloration __________________ -Eric

11/09/2009, 11:03 AM	#64
JokerGirl Whistler's Mother Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: That place Posts: 1,345	Thanks The actinics give them a neat, although unnatural, glow. It really makes the blue pop. __________________ 01000001 01101110 01111001 01101111 01101110 01100101 00111111 Current Tank Info: 120g Reef Tank, 60g Cube Mantis/Reef Tank, Want more info, ask me.

11/20/2009, 10:15 AM	#65
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	Very exciting news (well, for me anyway ) Tonight there should be a new addition (pair of additions) to my tank and some new pictures for this thread. __________________ -Eric

11/03/2009, 11:33 PM	#51
clayw Moved On Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,311	ya, I plan on just keeping softies, maybe an LPS or two...I actually wanted to house a jawfish with them, but Im not sure how that will work out.

11/03/2009, 11:36 PM	#52
clayw Moved On Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,311	im sorry, I changed my mind on the jawfish yesterday, I dont know what I wrote that. What I meant to say was that I would like to keep 2 harleys, and 2 seahorses. But I know the horses may not work, what are your thoughts on that gk?

11/03/2009, 11:54 PM	#53
gkaquatic Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: cleveland, Ohio Posts: 258	sea horses are hard to keep not saying they are a un keepable but in a small tank i dont think its a good idea. but if u are really watch water quality and over lighting and too much current. most seahorses dont like a lot of light. none of the things needed for a seahorse is will affect the harlequins but if it were my opion go with a small pearly jawfish instead or something easier.

11/03/2009, 11:56 PM	#54
clayw Moved On Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,311	ya thats why i origanlly wanted a blue spot jawfish, but the 12g from cad is also rimless and jaws are jumpers, but i suppose i could just build a net for the tank.

11/04/2009, 12:16 AM	#55
gkaquatic Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: cleveland, Ohio Posts: 258	you could use egg crate and in my experience blue spots seem to be less jumpy then other jaws. we use egg crate at AT for pearly but not blue spot. never had a problem with them not to say that i wouldnt do a covering of some sort until it burrows or after about a week or two. you could also do some kind of goby or blenny that burrows. they have great personality and have less of a chance to jump.

11/04/2009, 08:22 AM	#56
clayw Moved On Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,311	I feel like the bsj could make it through the eggcrate but I'll use a mesh to build my cover I've done this before. Probably go with the bsj to be honest I like them alot I wanted one for my current tank but I already have 3 fish going in there and don't want four. I'll be getting my flaming prawn goby at the end of this week and my clowns in December when I move

11/07/2009, 12:03 AM	#57
buttons buster Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sacramento Posts: 1,428	What's the longest that one of you has had one?

11/08/2009, 03:38 PM	#58
gkaquatic Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: cleveland, Ohio Posts: 258	ive had mine for about a year and a half now. she's grown a lot since i first got her

11/08/2009, 03:51 PM	#59
buttons buster Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sacramento Posts: 1,428	ya It's pretty strange but I've had mine for a year and three months and it hasn't grown that much bigger. But I love my little guy

11/08/2009, 10:57 PM	#63
buttons buster Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sacramento Posts: 1,428	ya those are beautiful

11/20/2009, 06:18 PM	#66
gkaquatic Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: cleveland, Ohio Posts: 258	cant wait to see them hope the transfer goes good. i wish i had a pair! maybe one day.

11/20/2009, 07:05 PM	#67
Speckled Grouper Sticks Suck! Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Davie & Big Pine Key, FL Posts: 2,655	My Harlequin in action __________________ The cure for anything is salt water.....sweat, tears, or the sea. Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 265g

11/20/2009, 08:11 PM	#68
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	..yeah, so I can't take decent pics of them.. they come out blurry ... __________________ -Eric

11/25/2009, 10:41 PM	#69
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	OK, so I picked up 2 of these guys last friday. Man, do they hide or what? I just put a starfish in for them, but I'm curious.. how do you guys cut the arms? They're pretty tough! (Yes, I realize that's a weird question.) __________________ -Eric

11/26/2009, 05:34 PM	#70
clayw Moved On Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,311	sawzall does the trick....... JK use a sharp butchers knife and just apply necessary pressure to the choppin spot ;-)

11/26/2009, 05:38 PM	#71
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	Yeah, I wasn't sure they'd be so tough to cut through. I mean, I don't have a decent set of knives nor a big set of biceps but it shouldn't be that bad. Part of it was b/c I didn't want to use full force (and I felt a bit bad for the starfish) __________________ -Eric

11/26/2009, 05:42 PM	#72
clayw Moved On Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,311	definitly a much tougher "skin" than the eye seems to think. Ive cut a few the first one was for a class last year with a scalpul. Yes, it is sort of sad, youre harvesting somehting for its limbs, but its better than letting the whole thing die and be a waste for just a couple arms. -clay

11/27/2009, 12:43 AM	#73
gkaquatic Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: cleveland, Ohio Posts: 258	coral cutters or a nice pair a scissors (meat cutting ones) is what i use. ive found that each star is different some are really tough and others not so much... not sure y. as for two harlequins a whole star might be fine. they may consume the whole thing before it starts to rot, as long as its not a huge star. try and see its worth a shot if u dont like chopping arms. but if anyone has just one harlequin a whole star at once is a waste.

11/27/2009, 10:56 AM	#74
unbreakable D: Join Date: May 2007 Location: ? Posts: 2,868	has anyone noticed if the male sacrifices itself or the female eats the male when there hasnt been food for a while? i was about to feed them a starfish today when yesterday i noticed the male hanging out with the female more than usual.... this morning i find that the male is completely gone. this is the second time it happens and its always the female who stays alive __________________ INTERNET= Serious Business!

11/27/2009, 11:07 AM	#75
gkaquatic Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: cleveland, Ohio Posts: 258	never heard of the female eating the male. but the reason they might be dieing is that the male allows the female to eat more which causes him to starve. not sure though. it would be the case if u were feeding whole stars the are medium size because they could both eat at the same time.