Harlequin Shrimp are loved for their beautiful colors and starfish eating habits. Harlequin Shrimp are interesting inverts that can spice up any aquarium. Here, you'll learn all about the care requirements of Harlequin Shrimp and what they can do to help your aquarium!
Harlequin Shrimp are found in reefs located in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. This shrimp grows to a max size of 1.5 inches. They have mostly pearly white bodies with blue spots in various patterns and shapes. The spots are darker around the outside and lighter towards the center. The face of the Harlequin Shrimp has a soft pink hue. It is indeed a very beautiful shrimp.
Harlequin Shrimp are hardy and generally easy to care for. The only thing that may add some difficulties is their diet for starfish. If you want them specifically for this reason, then this is a benefit. However, if your tank does not have any starfish in it, you will have to feed these shrimp live starfish. There are a couple ways of doing this. One way is to simply buy starfish to feed them. A pair only needs about one starfish per month. The best starfish to feed are sand-sifting starfish or chocolate chip starfish, as they are the cheapest and most common options. If you plan on having these shrimp in a reef tank, be careful with feeding chocolate chips starfish because they may eat corals. Another option is to keep one or a few starfish in the refugium section of your sump. When it comes time to feed the shrimp, remove a leg from the starfish and give it to the shrimp.
Aside from feeding, Harlequin Shrimp are easy to care for. As long as your parameters are within the generally accepted range (72-78° F, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.023-1.025, dKH 8-12) and stable, you should not have any problems.
Because the Harlequin Shrimp sold by AlgaeBarn are captive-bred by Aquatic Technology, they are hardier and better adapted to marine life.
Pest control
Other than the outstanding looks, the main reason hobbyists purchase Harlequin Shrimp is for pest control. What kind of pest control, you ask? Well because these shrimp have a diet consisting solely of starfish, it is for starfish pest control. Usually, this primarily means asterina starfish. These are tiny white starfish often found on the aquarium glass or rocks. They often lose legs which turn into whole new starfish. For this reason, they spread and grow in numbers fast. If you have a fish only aquarium, these little starfish probably won't bother you much. However, in a reef aquarium they may eat corals. Not all asterina starfish eat corals, but it is difficult to tell the difference between ones that do and ones that don't. If you have corals, it might be best to assume that all of them eat corals. This is why hobbyists consider them pests and why most hobbyists want them removed.
Harlequin Shrimp are great at doing this. They are probably the best method to remove asterina starfish. Eventually, they will probably eat all of the starfish in your aquarium, so you will likely need to feed them using the methods discussed previously.
Should you get the Harlequin Shrimp?
You don't have to get this shrimp just for pest control, but it offers a great solution to a starfish problem. Even if it seems like the asterina starfish in your tank are not harming your corals, you can still get the Harlequin Shrimp just because it is a cool looking shrimp. You can also get this shrimp if there are no starfish in your aquarium at all. However, keep in mind you will have to feed them starfish. If the idea of feeding live starfish makes you uneasy, the Harlequin Shrimp may not be such a good idea for you. If you have sand-sifting starfish or any other starfish that you don't want to get eaten, this shrimp is obviously a bad choice.
It all depends. If you are willing to feed live starfish, keeping this shrimp will be a breeze for you. Its captivating colors and odd form certainly make it enticing!