Never add "THIS INVERT" to your reef aquarium?

[Rovert]

I’d tread very lightly on putting crabs in the sump had a friend who did just that and they destroyed all his equipment

Got a 'dsb-in-a-sump' setup. Basically it's a plastic container with 6" of SeaFlor aragonite, ulva, a light and flow taken from the return manifold. Those suckers are in jail and they ain't gettin' out. The pods can keep 'em company.

 

[Ghostweim]

Emerald crab - mine has the nickname a$$hat. Need I say more?

 

[WheatToast]

Servant star I literally watched him set up shop on a rock above the sand Ed and eat my pintail fairy wrasse. That was after I kept loosing wrasses especially the one who hurried into the sand bed at night. Took a while but finally caught him in the act

Do you remember what kind of serpent star you had? I have read that the green serpent star (Ophiarachna incrassata) is the only one that presents a danger to sleeping fish, but I could be wrong.

 

[Emerson]

Peppermint shrimp, for sure. Ate an two new acans over night.

 

[Mackey]

But but, they are the best for cleaning up the sand bed

True, but I know one day I will find that every single one of my fish died, and there will only be him, sitting upon a rock with his weird little elephant trunk and beady yellow eyes, cackling with glee at the destruction he has wrought.
May I ask how many supposed "Velvet outbreaks" were caused by this malicious mollusk?!
How many times have you wondered "Hey where are all my hermit crabs?" and have seen him there putting his snozz in the dirt?
Covered with salt-like grains!! he was just getting them seasoned......

 

[Mackey]

True, but I know one day I will find that every single one of my fish died, and there will only be him, sitting upon a rock with his weird little elephant trunk and beady yellow eyes, cackling with glee at the destruction he has wrought.
May I ask how many supposed "Velvet outbreaks" were caused by this malicious mollusk?!
How many times have you wondered "Hey where are all my hermit crabs?" and have seen him there putting his snozz in the dirt?
Covered with salt-like grains!! he was just getting them seasoned......

And at that time my friend, will you say "Oh he waas good at cleaning the sandbed"

 

[kenchilada]

I only put astrea snails in my tank and I use WAY less than most people.

In my 240G I have only 20 astrea snails and it seems to be plenty. I have kept all 20 for over two years now (my kids like to count them).

I just do it this way because it’s worked for me since the 90s and never saw a need for more. Plus I rarely need to quarantine new inverts.

 

[kinetic]

Emerald Crab

I don't understand why people are OK with them. Those who like them have either never actually observed them long enough to notice, but they will pull at coral tissue, polyps, and more. Yes, you might get lucky and it might not, but it's still crazy to me how emerald crabs are still recommended sometimes. I've never found them to even be effective in "cleaning up" either. Like they'll keep one small area near their "hole" clean, maybe. But that's it. Then all the other corals around will get destroyed slowly.

Never ever get an emerald crab

 

[Rmckoy]

We're talking about clean up crews this week and a BIG part of a CUC are inverts! But not all inverts are good for a reef tank. Some are good at cleaning but are bad at coral nipping. Let's talk about it!

What are some common inverts (snails, crabs, etc.) that you would NEVER put in your reef? Why?

image via @CornishCrustyCorals

If I had to do it again I wouldn’t have added hermits in this build .
every other system I kept hermits out .
I decided to give them a try …. They are terrible .

but this system also got 3 urchins . 1 year ago I would have said I’ve always hated them and would never get another .

they are algae eating machines .
but sacrifice having to move rocks back where they were often

 

[Goby Bryant]

Emerald crabs
Peppermint shrimp
Scarlet hermit crab

NEVER AGAIN

I agree with all of these! They are aggressive and they die so quickly.

 

[tee89]

Peppermint shrimps, cleaner shrimps and Halloween hermit crabs, done with these useless inverts that cause more harm than good. Specifically peppermint shrimps, destroyed my trachy, anemones and always steeling food from corals.

 

[G Santana]

Personally i am done with urchins. Not because i dont like them because they look so cool

But i dont know many people that have had long term success with them. They seem to be sooooooooooooooooo sensitve to any peramiter swing and then just die

Never again

I gotta respectfully disagree, I have an urchin going into his second year and he survived the MESS that was my first year. Recently my sister almost cooked my tank but guess what, that urchin is still hauling tail.

If you truly love them, give one another shot. My Meatball is virtually indestructible lol

 

[Newjimky]

I’m with the majority Emerald Crab no go for
Me also

 

[jabberwock]

No crabs. Crabs are bait or food.

On a recent fishing trip, I had three blues crabs I had caught for bait. Planned on using them early the next morning. Kept them in a bucket of saltwater with a bubbler. The next morning (maybe 10 hours), the biggest one had eaten the other two. It was holding the empty shells, one in each claw.

 

[scardall]

Emerald crabs for one.

 

[ReeferHD]

Arrow crabs and emerald crabs. I once moved my arrow crab to my DT (formerly lived in the sump) and within about 60 seconds he tore apart 2 healthy trochus snails and made a huge mess of my pom pom macro. Awesome invert but not for my tank.. And for emerald crabs, they're fine until they randomly start taking chunks out of your lps, in this case it was my prized wellsophyllia.. Nope.

 

[MuggyReef]

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.

My girlfriend wants a starfish and I think a linckia is the way I’ll go when my tank is more mature.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

My girlfriend wants a starfish and I think a linckia is the way I’ll go when my tank is more mature.

I'd definitely do my research if I were you if you plan on keeping it alive long term...

 

[AydenLincoln]

My girlfriend wants a starfish and I think a linckia is the way I’ll go when my tank is more mature.

And what size tank? I’d never put any type of linckia in a smaller tank think 50 gallons or less at least longterm.

 

[Bradig326]

I love my urchins. They have been in my 75 gallon for 3+ years maybe more. I have a pincushion from ORA and a pencil urchin.
I also keep various hermit crabs but only 3-5 at a time. I have a New Caledonia sea cucumber. He just motors around the sand bed. I find his piles of poop every now and again.
The other member of my cleanup crew is my pistol shrimp. It is paired with a yellow watchman goby. I haven't had any issue with corals being eaten. Although I do wish I could find something to eat my corallimorphs. So I guess my answer is no. I am not shy and will try anything as far as clean up crew goes.