This relates to some of the difficulty with their management. These shrimp tend to be shy at first and need a safe place to hide. Often times they will pick a cave and turn that into their lair. They use the hideout for resting and eating. The pair or your lone harlequin will drag prey off and eat in privacy. So you need to make sure you offer places for them to do so. Water changes need to match both chemically and in temperature. They cannot handle copper or nitrates in the water chemicals commonly used to treat parasite infestations in fish.
Harlequins are also vulnerable to strong currents and will shy away if your tank has too much flow. A quick scan of forum posts discussing these colorful crustaceans show a number of posts from people who lost their fish to their powerhead filters. A gyre pump may be best for these shrimp if you intend to keep them in a larger reef tank. However, because of their size and delicate structure, you may want to consider keeping them in a nano tank.
Then they can remain the main focus. And you picked them up for their stunning patterns and hunting behavior, anyway, right? Yes, harlequin shrimp are considered reef-safe — with one big exception. They eat echinoderms starfish. As they grow, a new shell develops under the old one. Occasionally an old shell will come off in such a perfect piece that some aquarists think the shrimp is dead and lying motionless on the bottom of the tank.
The problem is often made worse because a freshly molted shrimp knows that new exoskeleton is soft and vulnerable to predators. So they hide for a few hours until it hardens.
A fresh molt lacks the vibrant color patterns of your hale and healthy harlequin. Harlequin shrimp occur widely across the Indo-Pacific Ocean, though they are never very abundant in any one area. They are mainly found on or around coral reefs in deeper parts of the subtidal zone. A smaller animal, it generally grows no larger than two inches in length. Females which carry and brood the eggs are somewhat larger than males. These close couples rarely venture very far apart, and individuals will even confront rivals that get near their mate.
The bonds, apparently, are long-lasting. There are only two species in the genus. By most accounts, wild harlequin shrimp prey mainly on Linckia spp. The shrimp finds its prey at least partly by sense of smell, using highly responsive sensory antennules on its head. It then crawls beneath its prey and eventually flips it over. It may take several days before the shrimp breaks through to the targeted viscera. On top of the head, next to the eyes, are sensory antennules.
These are very important for helping them navigate and smell their prey when hunting. Under the thorax are eight walking limbs called pereiopods. Under the abdomen are ten forked swimming limbs called pleopods. The colors and patterns of this species are what really make them stand out. The main body is cream-colored, but they are covered in spots that can make them look fluorescent.
In the wild, the spots can be either red or purple, depending on where the shrimp is from. Red spots are characteristic of the Pacific Ocean whereas purple spots are more common in the Indian Ocean. Both varieties are bred and sold in the aquarium trade, so you might have the luxury of picking your favorite.
Most people just get the variety that is stocked closest to them though. A fully grown individual usually reaches about 2 inches, but females are noticeably larger. Females also have larger colored spots under their tail and blue tips to the legs on their abdomen. Tropical islands like these are bordered by coral reefs, these shrimps live among the corals or the rubble piles just outside the reefs.
They stick to coastal regions and are rarely found below a depth of 30m. There are lots of caves and crevices in coral reefs and rubble piles, this species uses these as shelter, often returning to the same cave. Once a breeding pair has been established, they will spend all of their time together, so they will share the same cave.
The water would be warm, alkaline, and well-lit, without strong currents. Since this is a marine habitat, there would also be a high salinity. The key to keeping your Harlequin Shrimp healthy at home is to recreate their natural habitat. This is easy to do once you know their preferences. When designing the layout of your tank, make sure there are plenty of hiding spots.
Harlequin Shrimp are cave-dwellers and finding a cave will be their first though once added to the aquarium. They need a cave to themselves or with a mate and will not be happy if tank mates try to claim it.
You can design the rest of the tank based on your own personal preferences, potentially mixing plants, corals, and decorations. The pH should be 8. The conditions of the water need to be maintained.
Harlequin Shrimp are vulnerable to sudden changes in their environment. Avoid creating strong currents with your filter outlet or pumps. A protein skimmer can be a useful addition to your aquarium. Parts of starfish can start decaying if not fully eaten, which can raise nitrate levels.
Interested yet? Therefore they are suitable even for nano aquariums tanks 20 gallons and under in size. Just keep in mind that nano reef tanks are actually harder to maintain than larger aquariums because smaller bodies of water can shift much more rapidly than large ones. And Harlequin Shrimp are highly sensitive to fluctuations in water parameters.
When aquascaping for Harlequin Shrimp, keep their secretive nature in mind. If there is too much bare ground and open water you may rarely see your Harlequin Shrimp as they feel continually exposed. Besides feeding, providing optimal water conditions is a major challenge in keeping Harlequin Shrimp.
They are highly sensitive to sudden fluctuations in water parameters, which is causing their population numbers to drop due to climate change. Carbonate hardness can be between 8 to 12 degrees. Like all invertebrates they are highly sensitive to accumulated nitrogenous wastes ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate but even more than most species.
You should be aiming for 0ppm in all three categories. Harlequin Shrimp therefore should only be added to an established marine aquarium that has stable parameters and a mature biological filtration system. You should also have a refugium , protein skimmer , or other way of further mitigating organic and nitrogenous waste accumulation.
So keep a sponge cover over the intakes even if your filter unit has a plastic guard in place. Your filter outtake therefore needs to be directed in such a way to protect them from being too affected by it.
Two methods of doing so are directing your filter so that the water flows horizontally across the surface or using a spray bar to dissipate the force of the outflow. Harlequin Shrimps are some of the best shrimp for your coral reef aquarium. Most shrimp are scavengers and omnivores. In fact, they are actively beneficial for reef tanks because they can help control invasive Asterina Asterina sp. Asterina are the bane of many reef keepers. These tiny starfish rarely grow beyond 1 inch in diameter and have a tendency to explode in numbers because nothing wants to eat a hard skinned, noxious-tasting starfish.
Asterina have the ability to reproduce by fission, something few multicellular animals can do. Essentially they will shed a leg, a group of legs, or even split themselves in two. Instead of being dead, you now have two Asterina starfish that will go in to divide themselves further. And if you try to control them by plucking them or worse, crushing them, then the fragments left behind can all grow into new starfish. Most Asterina are harmless detritivores, feeding on algae and other leftovers.
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