Never add "THIS INVERT" to your reef aquarium?

[czoolander]

Really? I’ve kept tuxedos longer than 5 years, I don’t think their life expectancy is much longer than that. All my others I’ve traded away. I can’t tell you the last time I had one die on me.

I have 15 captive bred tuxedos in my 220 now as well, I expect them to do just as well as the others in the past.

Thats awesome and i would say you are probably the exception then as i said " i dont know many" so I guess you are one of the few

 

[MuggyReef]

There are no hermit crabs or crabs of any kind in my systems.

fish snails and sea urchins will eat the same stuff hermits will. Without the side affect of murdering snails.

My dwarf hermits immediately killed two Astrea snails but left the third one and leave the Nassarius, Trochus, and Cerith snails alone. Just got a few extra Astrea shells from my lfs and they leave the snails alone now. Only have 10 of them in my 125 and will stop there. Don’t plan on replacing any if they die unless I get down to two or three only, but more more than 10. They do devour my diatoms on the sand bed while the snails get the glass algae, and the shrimp get the leftover food.

 

[Sump Crab]

Really? I’ve kept tuxedos longer than 5 years, I don’t think their life expectancy is much longer than that. All my others I’ve traded away. I can’t tell you the last time I had one die on me.

I have 15 captive bred tuxedos in my 220 now as well, I expect them to do just as well as the others in the past.

I’ve had great success with urchins too. Although mine have all been hitchhikers off Florida rock. They seem to be quite hardy IME

 

[ying yang]

I wouldn't want to add any snail that can't right itself if flips over like falling off the rocks ,as dont want keep righting them.and I noticed with the 2 astrea snails I got accidently from lfs that when they ended upside down on sandbed the hermits took that as a dinner bell ringing so dont see point in buying snails just to possibly get eaten if fall off glass/rocks.
I did buy 2 cleaner shrimp as Mrs loved them but when this remaining one dies won't be replacing them as steals food from corals and got to put cut pop bottles over tje corals when feeding them otherwise cleaner shrimp just steals the food and with the shrimp stabbing into the polyps trying to get the food, can't think that's doing Any good to the polyp or corals mouth.
Never had boxer shrimp or arrow crabs but most I read the eating corals or other cuc so probably stay away from them ( read some say keep them well fed and won't be a problem ,but I can target feed my cleaner shrimp and he eats some then got some in his pincers then think ok I target feed corals now that he been fed and got food in his hands but nope he drops his food then goes straight to steal corals food so don't buy that if keep an animal well fed it won't hurt /injure/or kill another animal as its in their dna/evolution and all that schamozie ha ha.
Hermits mainly been ok in rank but got 3 in sump jail,target feed them often with tweezers but one was constantly trying kill a conch and shell would been to big for the hermit and seen a hermit kill a nassarious snail and after killed it didn't take its shell or even try it on for size and didn't eat the snail so killed just for sake off it lol but apart from them 3 hermits, not that much bother so still keep them and will get more as and when needed.

 

[Mackey]

@Joe81 gets it!

 

[Mjl714]

I’ve had great success with urchins too. Although mine have all been hitchhikers off Florida rock. They seem to be quite hardy IME

Same here, my orange Halloween urchin is over five years in our tank, but i am careful to direct feed it some nori whenever I see it near the top of the tank. I’ll also drop into refugium periodically for a week or so. I think they might need more feeding than many think.

Anyway, no large hermits for me, because they eat the snail.

 

[Slocke]

Nope
I chose Chaos!
The red hairy legged hermit!

For my predator tank. No way that’s going in a reef haha

 

[davidcalgary29]

Purple porcelain crabs are not entirely reef safe: I woke up one morning to seeing mine chow down on a sleeper goby. I suppose it was "filtering" the tank for its food -- just not in the way that I anticipated.

 

[MoshJosh]

Used to be a staunch defender of emerald crabs. . . Until I saw mine rip off a piece of my coral and eat it. . .

seems sort of hit or miss, as my other emerald was a model citizen, but not worth the risk in my opinion.

 

[ying yang]

I love my little guy though! They are demanding though I know and just aren’t known to do well a lot of times in captivity.

Cool looking dude and very strong vibrant colourful indeed.
My little 5 year old girl been wanting some kind off starfish since set my tank up ( been 16 months so far) told her tank needs to mature/ get older first sweetie and said after 1 uear maybe we add one,and keeps asking me " daddy tank is over a year now so let's get one lol" but I'm a bit torn whether to or not as often read they don't last to long in captivity,but read odd person having longer success off few-several years,but yeah would love one in my tank and again yours is a beauty ^_^

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Cool looking dude and very strong vibrant colourful indeed.
My little 5 year old girl been wanting some kind off starfish since set my tank up ( been 16 months so far) told her tank needs to mature/ get older first sweetie and said after 1 uear maybe we add one,and keeps asking me " daddy tank is over a year now so let's get one lol" but I'm a bit torn whether to or not as often read they don't last to long in captivity,but read odd person having longer success off few-several years,but yeah would love one in my tank and again yours is a beauty ^_^

Depends on the kind of star...there are many factors that would determine if you'd be successful

 

[AydenLincoln]

Depends on the kind of star...there are many factors that would determine if you'd be successful

Yes and if you like the way brittle/serpent stars look the care is easier because they aren’t starfish but are echinoderms. I’d say your tank is old enough too. Linckia/fromia are a lot more difficult to keep in general and do research.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yes and if you like the way brittle/serpent stars look the care is easier. Linckia/fromia are a lot more difficult to keep.

It seems to be that way but even that varies widely by species

 

[AydenLincoln]

It seems to be that way but even that varies widely by species

Yes compared to micro brittle or like green serpent care/difficulty varies.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Yes compared to micro brittle or like green serpent care/difficulty varies.

That's true but I was also saying that difficulty among species of the Fromia and Linckia genera vary by species

 

[AydenLincoln]

That's true but I was also saying that difficulty among species of the Fromia and Linckia genera vary by species

Oh yeah I mean the most common ones like blue linckia…tiled fromia etc. I will say chocolate chip stars have been known to be easier in regards to starfish but some they may eat corals. I know of people who say they are reef safe and others who say they aren’t. Same thing with my star who hasn’t touched a coral.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Oh yeah I mean the most common ones like blue linckia…tiled fromia etc. I will say chocolate chip stars have been known to be easier in regards to starfish but some they may eat corals. I know of people who say they are reef safe and others who say they aren’t. Same thing with my star who hasn’t touched a coral.

No, I mean for example Fromia milliporella and Fromia indica are very different in many ways although they're the same genus even...they can tolerate different parameters with differing levels of resilience

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

will not add another peppermint shrimp (partially my fault - maybe entirely my fault lol). Bought 2 for aiptasia control - after doing their “best” - not very well - one decided my raja rampage looked tasty. It (chalice) was struggling a bit admittedly but peppermints help wasnt very helpful. Had to take my rocks apart to get em out.

 

[Nano sapiens]

I would recommend staying away from the sea cucumbers for a typical home sized reef aquarium. I had a 5" black version enter a power head and the toxins released crashed my old 55g.

 

[AydenLincoln]

I would recommend staying away from the sea cucumbers for a typical home sized reef aquarium. I had a 5" black version enter a power head and the toxins released crashed my old 55g.

That’s a fear of mine. So I avoid species that could potentially nuke an entire tank.