Inverts Tank

[not_a_tang]

Hi! I am a novice at saltwater tanks and wanted to get some ideas on my tank. I’m trying to have a whole plan before I go out and get my tank set up. It’s a 20 cube from waterbox, with a eshopps nano protein skimmer, AI prime 16 HD Led reef light, and live rock and live sand (would like oolite but can change).
I am an invertebrate lover and wanted to have more inverts than fish. The only fish I want/have considered is a gumdrop coral croucher, cherub angel, and maybe two clowns but probably not if there isn’t room. The inverts I was thinking was a porcelain crab, Pom Pom crab, 3 Halloween hermits, 3 red legged hermits, a sexy shrimp, 4 nassarus, a feather duster, a urchin that’s smaller than a dime and two lettuce sea slugs (when the tank is more established). I would love to do corals like softies and a small anemone. Is this all doable? What should I leave out? I’m only set on one fish if need be, the gumdrop coral croucher.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Hi! I am a novice at saltwater tanks and wanted to get some ideas on my tank. I’m trying to have a whole plan before I go out and get my tank set up. It’s a 20 cube from waterbox, with a eshopps nano protein skimmer, AI prime 16 HD Led reef light, and live rock and live sand (would like oolite but can change).
I am an invertebrate lover and wanted to have more inverts than fish. The only fish I want/have considered is a gumdrop coral croucher, cherub angel, and maybe two clowns but probably not if there isn’t room. The inverts I was thinking was a porcelain crab, Pom Pom crab, 3 Halloween hermits, 3 red legged hermits, a sexy shrimp, 4 nassarus, a feather duster, a urchin that’s smaller than a dime and two lettuce sea slugs (when the tank is more established). I would love to do corals like softies and a small anemone. Is this all doable? What should I leave out? I’m only set on one fish if need be, the gumdrop coral croucher.

A 20 cube wouldn't be big enough for a cherub angel (the recommendation for them is minimum of like 50-55gallons/a 4 ft tank), but I would guess that a 20 cube would work for the croucher and two clowns.

To my knowledge, those are both bigger hermit species, so I'd personally be a bit hesitant to put 6 of them in a twenty with small fish, but hopefully someone more experienced will chime in for you there. My main concern would be how the hermits would do with the shrimp and feather dusters (i.e. I'd be worried the hermits would take the shrimp and worms out, but I don't know if they would or not - again, hopefully with more hermit experience will comment for you).

Either way, sounds like a cool tank - welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[not_a_tang]

A 20 cube wouldn't be big enough for a cherub angel (the recommendation for them is minimum of like 50-55gallons/a 4 ft tank), but I would guess that a 20 cube would work for the croucher and two clowns.

To my knowledge, those are both bigger hermit species, so I'd personally be a bit hesitant to put 6 of them in a twenty with small fish, but hopefully someone more experienced will chime in for you there. My main concern would be how the hermits would do with the shrimp and feather dusters (i.e. I'd be worried the hermits would take the shrimp and worms out, but I don't know if they would or not - again, hopefully with more hermit experience will comment for you).

Either way, sounds like a cool tank - welcome to Reef2Reef!

Thank you so much! I didn’t realize they could do that to feather dusters. I also didn’t even think about that with the shrimp. Maybe I’ll go with a fire shrimp for some color. Also I will probably let go of the angel idea I saw mixed things about what exact size they could go in. Thank you again!

 

[Stomatopods17]

The hermits should be fine (they'll probably kill the snails then each other first) but the feather likely won't do well in there. Hermits likely will tear it up.

You're going to have to be more specific on the urchin. They all grow fast, tuxedos stay a manageable size for that tank but pretty much everything else grows.

Sexy shrimp should be ok with the hermits, so long as the fish aren't big enough to fit it in their mouth. I've had pretty small typically peaceful fish grab mine before, smaller than the clowns as juveniles.

Lettuce slug would get torn up, they do better when your tank has an algae outbreak, as the tank stabilizes keeping them might be more challenging and the crabs+urchin will compete with it.

 

[L0L_Z]

Have you considered possum wrasse? They are great fish and are invert safe (minus copepods but almost every fish eats those) BTW you can fit 2 crouchers because they are pretty small. Coral crouchers are relatively boring fish. Considered blennies? Your inverts should be fine.

 

[srobertb]

Hi! I am a novice at saltwater tanks and wanted to get some ideas on my tank. I’m trying to have a whole plan before I go out and get my tank set up. It’s a 20 cube from waterbox, with a eshopps nano protein skimmer, AI prime 16 HD Led reef light, and live rock and live sand (would like oolite but can change).
I am an invertebrate lover and wanted to have more inverts than fish. The only fish I want/have considered is a gumdrop coral croucher, cherub angel, and maybe two clowns but probably not if there isn’t room. The inverts I was thinking was a porcelain crab, Pom Pom crab, 3 Halloween hermits, 3 red legged hermits, a sexy shrimp, 4 nassarus, a feather duster, a urchin that’s smaller than a dime and two lettuce sea slugs (when the tank is more established). I would love to do corals like softies and a small anemone. Is this all doable? What should I leave out? I’m only set on one fish if need be, the gumdrop coral croucher.

Ditch the skimmer. Rock flower anemones and sexy shrimp are great and fun to watch then be patient and drop a BTA in around 11-12 months. The sea slugs will starve. Today, tomorrow, in a year. Those things are algae-eating machines and due to their wandering but slow nature difficult to spot feed.

 

[not_a_tang]

Have you considered possum wrasse? They are great fish and are invert safe (minus copepods but almost every fish eats those) BTW you can fit 2 crouchers because they are pretty small. Coral crouchers are relatively boring fish. Considered blennies? Your inverts should be fine.

2 crouchers! That’s amazing. I love them. The possum wrasse is a good one as well. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[not_a_tang]

Ditch the skimmer. Rock flower anemones and sexy shrimp are great and fun to watch then be patient and drop a BTA in around 11-12 months. The sea slugs will starve. Today, tomorrow, in a year. Those things are algae-eating machines and due to their wandering but slow nature difficult to spot feed.

I have heard that. That makes me sad but I would be more devastated if I saw one die. Maybe one in a much bigger tank with a lot more algae. Thanks for the suggestions. I love rock flowers and would love to fill the scape with them.

 

[not_a_tang]

The hermits should be fine (they'll probably kill the snails then each other first) but the feather likely won't do well in there. Hermits likely will tear it up.

You're going to have to be more specific on the urchin. They all grow fast, tuxedos stay a manageable size for that tank but pretty much everything else grows.

Sexy shrimp should be ok with the hermits, so long as the fish aren't big enough to fit it in their mouth. I've had pretty small typically peaceful fish grab mine before, smaller than the clowns as juveniles.

Lettuce slug would get torn up, they do better when your tank has an algae outbreak, as the tank stabilizes keeping them might be more challenging and the crabs+urchin will compete with it.

I’ve got my eye on this orange pincushion that is currently about the same size as a dime right now. I was hoping I could watch him grow out and then move him to a bigger setup, whether that be mine or someone else’s.

 

[L0L_Z]

Did you consider a blue tuxedo urchin? They should be fine in your tank long term, though you may need to decrease the algae eaters

 

[1epauletteshark]

Hi! I am a novice at saltwater tanks and wanted to get some ideas on my tank. I’m trying to have a whole plan before I go out and get my tank set up. It’s a 20 cube from waterbox, with a eshopps nano protein skimmer, AI prime 16 HD Led reef light, and live rock and live sand (would like oolite but can change).
I am an invertebrate lover and wanted to have more inverts than fish. The only fish I want/have considered is a gumdrop coral croucher, cherub angel, and maybe two clowns but probably not if there isn’t room. The inverts I was thinking was a porcelain crab, Pom Pom crab, 3 Halloween hermits, 3 red legged hermits, a sexy shrimp, 4 nassarus, a feather duster, a urchin that’s smaller than a dime and two lettuce sea slugs (when the tank is more established). I would love to do corals like softies and a small anemone. Is this all doable? What should I leave out? I’m only set on one fish if need be, the gumdrop coral croucher.

I think the Halloween hermits would get quite big and eat the red legged hermits quite quickly then the snails, then the feather duster and then each other. I’m also not 100% sure I would trust the gumdrop coral croucher not to eat the sexy shrimp.

 

[L0L_Z]

I think the Halloween hermits would get quite big and eat the red legged hermits quite quickly then the snails, then the feather duster and then each other. I’m also not 100% sure I would trust the gumdrop coral croucher not to eat the sexy shrimp.

the more i think about it, yea. I havent started the official tank ill be working on, but i have a get to know saltwater 15 gallon which has coral crouchers, a tailspot blenny, possum wrasse and a naokos wrasse (going out of there into a 6foot in a month or 2, so dont flame me.) I added sexy shrimp before i added crouchers, (which were the first fish._ And they all disappeared. Anemone shrimp are a better bet.

 

[L0L_Z]

any update?

 

[AGWL]

Glad to meet another invert lover!