Where do you look for "oddball" inverts?

[damsels are not mean]

I really like inverts and want to incorporate them more into my systems, but they seem hard to find.
Right now I really want some (or at least a) venus anemone shrimp (Anclyomenes venustus). They have such character and are listed on several sites I frequent for fishes but I don't think I've ever seen them in stock. Are there sites that focus on inverts I can look at, or are there places that will take special orders?

 

[blaxsun]

My LFS. Whenever they get an "unknown" hermit crab I add to my growing collection.

 

[Sean Clark]

I really like unique inverts that you hardly ever see. Finding them available is very hard from my experience. This is a market gap where some ambitious people could do great things for the hobby.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

As I understand it, there are some places that take special orders, but it is (to my understanding) fairly/very expensive. Also, you may have to order through your LFS (I think this would depend on the company that’s actually acting to acquire the specimen you’re after), and it could take quite a while for them to locate/acquire a specimen for you. Beyond that, while I think you’d be able to get your shrimp, there are some species that you wouldn’t be able to get because of different national/international laws.

If you do want to go the special order route, you can check with your LFS, or I’ve heard that both KP Aquatics and Marine Collectors take orders like this.

 

[Tamberav]

I really like inverts and want to incorporate them more into my systems, but they seem hard to find.
Right now I really want some (or at least a) venus anemone shrimp (Anclyomenes venustus). They have such character and are listed on several sites I frequent for fishes but I don't think I've ever seen them in stock. Are there sites that focus on inverts I can look at, or are there places that will take special orders?

I think I saw KPA had them in stock recently.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I'm fortunate in that regard. My LFS will take orders, now whether the wholesaler has or can get it is another story... I ordered a fire shrimp that way a few years back, I always loved the look and deep red coloring. At the time I couldn't find them anywhere!

 

[SlugSnorter]

I really like inverts and want to incorporate them more into my systems, but they seem hard to find.
Right now I really want some (or at least a) venus anemone shrimp (Anclyomenes venustus). They have such character and are listed on several sites I frequent for fishes but I don't think I've ever seen them in stock. Are there sites that focus on inverts I can look at, or are there places that will take special orders?

ReefCleaners: Out of season and Other Inverts section.

 

[SlugSnorter]

My LFS. Whenever they get an "unknown" hermit crab I add to my growing collection.

your gonna end up with some giant mega hermit the size of your arm lol.

 

[blaxsun]

your gonna end up with some giant mega hermit the size of your arm lol.

Not yet! I found a really nice one a few months back that I spotted again last night. Black legs with red and gold stripes and black claws with white pokadots.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Not yet! I found a really nice one a few months back that I spotted again last night. Black legs with red and gold stripes and black claws with white pokadots.

you will wake up one day and these guys will be coming for you.

 

[blaxsun]

you will wake up one day and these guys will be coming for you.

Probably. My algae eating hermits have figure out how to climb the cables on the wavemakers and use the corner support bracing to scale the sides of the tank, so there's definitely some evolution going on...

And that's definitely my dog standing there barking!

 

[SlugSnorter]

Probably. My algae eating hermits have figure out how to climb the cables on the wavemakers and use the corner support bracing to scale the sides of the tank, so there's definitely some evolution going on...

soon, the revolution...