First inverts list - what say?

X

xaflatoonx

New member
90 gallon tank - should be approaching cycle finish soon.
Will add them once i see enough algae/diatom growth.

Just wanted your opinion on what you guys think is good starting invert list/quantity. If i need to remove any or add, let me know please.

Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab 10
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab 5
RED sea Star 1
Fire/Blood Shrimp 2
Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp 1
Astrea Turbo Snail 5
Cerith Snail 5
Zebra Turbo Snail 5

Empty Fancy Crab Shells 24
Flame Scallop 1

Buying from LiveAquaria.com

thoughts?
 
Skip the sea star and the flame scallop, neither will get enough food to live long in your tank. I would add 5 Nassarius Snails to the list assuming you will have a sandbed. Down the road when you have algae I would also add 10 Trocus and 10 nerite snails.
 
The scallop is a lock to starve in your tank. The sea star will eat everything living in your sandbed, leaving it a barren desert and then starve.
 
Skip the hermit snails, they'll kill your snails.

I'd also swap the turbos for trochus snails. They don't bulldoze as much & can right themselves when they fall over.

Double the the number of cerith snails.
 
I'm going to mimic most other posts. Flame scallop will die. Red Sea star, I'm assuming not a brittle or serpent star, will strip the sand bed and starve. Nassarius snails are good but I would also add a fighting conch. They do more work and eat detritus. I like one for each 50 gallons. With the 5 nassarius snails though you will do good with one. I personally like hermits. They will kill your snails periodically for food, shells, or even just for fun. Some people hate them because they like the snails better but I think they are fun and interesting to watch. If they eat my snails I buy a new snail. To me it's no different than having a predator tank and feeding it live food.

As for the cleaner shrimp just understand that they are not really part of your clean up crew. They are called cleaner shrimp because they clean fish if the fish let them. They will do some work on the rock but mostly just eat the food you put in. They are still awesome to have. The skunk cleaners will be out more in the daytime than the fire shrimp. Fire shrimp are shy and more nocturnal. I would get a pair of each or if you want to limit to three, two skunks and one fire.
 
Look at their tiger striped serpent star if you want a starfish. I have one. Again though they are unfortunately primarily nocturnal.
 
Xavibear said:
Skip the hermit snails, they'll kill your snails.
Click to expand...

I think that's hit or miss. I had a rather large Blue Hermit at one time that loved eating Turbos.

I currently have about 6 hermits that are a mixed bag. They never touched any of my snails until I added some large Cerith snails and then it was a total slaughter. I added 10 and I have 2 left. But those two have been living for a while now. Hit or miss. I enjoy having the hermits in there though.
 
I love my emerald crab. When he makes an appearance all activity in our house ceases. And I think they're one of the only things that will eat bubble algae.
I also have a nassarius snail (sp?) that tunnels under the sand and parties down there all day. 'Finding Speedy's tube' poking out of the sand is kind of a hobby around here.
 
I also recommend narcissus snails. these little guys are amazing at keeping your sandbed clean. fun to watch too.
 
I'm going to be the outcast and say go ahead with the flame scallop. They are simple to take care of as long as you have an ample food supply for them.

I bought one and kept it alive for close to a year which from everything ive read about its size puts it at the end of its life span when it died. You just need a live phytoplankton culture to keep one well fed. All it takes is a couple 2 liter bottles, some fertilizer, an air pump, and a light to grow a culture.

Every other day I just poured some of my isochrysis culture into my tank. I was measuring it out at first, but it didn't have any negative effects on my tank so I just started pouring it in. Probably about an ounce for my 20g tank.
 
the big thing is - i am trying to get my order list to 225 USD so i dont have to pay 35 bucks in shipping from liveaquaria...

so i re did my list..based on what you all said... what do you guys think?

Also - I have to wait till there is green stuff (algae) on my SB and LR before i can order the CUC - question is HOW MUCH of that green stuff needs to appear before it will be enough to feed this crew?
90 gallon tank - 110 lb dry rock - 80 lb live sand.

SW - Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab 10
SW - Fancy Empty Hermit Crab Shells(12 lot) 2
SW - Blood Red Fire Shrimp (Sri Lanka) - Medium 2
SW - Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Sri Lanka) - Large 1
SW - Cerith Snail (Mexico) 5
SW - Cerith Snail (Caribbean) 5
SW - Zebra Turbo Snail (Asia) 5
SW - Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab (Caribbean) 6
SW - Nassarius Vibex Snail (Caribbean) 10
SW - Banded Trochus Snail 10
SW - Porcelain Anemone Crab 1


Again - thank you all for your advice and help
 
I feed my whole crew; sinking marine pellets, seaweed ripped into tiny bits, fozen Mysis and bloodworms. The hermits can crab a piece of meat sailing by on the current like nobody's business. If you're willing to supplement their diet you could get a cuc as soon as your tank is cycled.
My emerald crab (who I see is still NOT on your list lol) will hang upside down eating a shred of seaweed for an hour.
 
The only thing my first emerald did was kill 6 hermits over night. If you get an emerald get a female. They have a better chance of eating bubble algae and don't get as big.
 
I get trying to save $ on shipping, but adding all of your clean up crew at once can be a bad thing if your tank can't support them. Especialy for a new tank, where there woun't be so much natural food for all of them to eat.

Most of the CUC can have their diet suplimented with seaweed, flakes, and some meaty bits for the nasarius snails, but you may be better off slowly adding CUC from your LFS rather than a bulk order. I might be a little weird, but I enjoy my CUC almost as much as my fish, and I like hand picking which snails I get (at least the larger ones).

i just got a fighting conch to clean up my sand bed for $10. maybe add one of those to your list if you want, though his diet would need suplimented in a newer tank. Mine is currently eating some seaweed off of a clip, and makes his way around my tank about once or twice a day cleaning the sand and the lower parts of the rock and glass. Plus with the conch, to me, he is a pet as much as my fish are as well as a valuable part of the CUC.
 
i am scared of getting the emerald man... lol

everywhere i read it says it will feed on other snails and all... (ofcourse with the caveat IF not fed well)... but i dont want to risk the poor snails if its my mistake of not putting in the right amount of food... lol
 
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