Invert compatibility

[jarrod13]

I'm looking to stock my 6 gallon fluval edge with some inverts. My initial thought is a pair of fire shrimp, a Pom Pom crab, possibly an anemone shrimp, and the one I'm not sure about is a blue or yellow boxer shrimp. I know the other bigger species can be aggressive but I heard somewhere that these two species were less aggressive, is that true?

 

[Calappidae]

The only inverts you'll be able to put in a 6 gallon would be an anemone shrimp, pom pom crab, bumblebee shrimp, sexy shrimp, porcelain crab, and that's pretty much it..

Fire shrimp get too big, the coral banded get too big and are highly territorial.

Blue banded coral shrimp stay smaller by like an inch so reguarding the rumor of them being more peaceful it's more like it can't catch as many big things as it's relatives.. all still threats.

 

[Betta132]

Be careful with the porcelain crab, they're filter-feeders.
You could also try squat lobsters... They're quite small, and they aren't actually lobsters. Maximum size is maybe an inch and a half, including long thin claws, and they're considered safe for most things. You may see crinoid squat lobsters, which are more colorful. That species sits in crinoids (feather stars) and feeds from the food they catch, but the crinoid squatties don't need crinoids to survive.
If it was me, I'd keep a load of tiny inverts and maybe one or two tiny gobies... Clown goby, perhaps?

 

[jarrod13]

Thanks for the replies! Ok so what if I got a baby fire shrimp and then moved it to my 90 when it got bigger? If not what about a pepermint shrimp or camel shrimp? I assume harlequin shrimp are out of the question right? I want to stay away from sexy shrimp because I've heard bad things about them. The Pom Pom is a definite and at least one species of anemone shrimp, any suggestions on a relatively easy one? I'm thinking a Peterson anemone shrimp...

I'm still up in the air whether I want to add a fish or not, if I did I was thinking a tail spot blenny or a clown goby, but we'll see, I'd like to keep the bioload down.

 

[Calappidae]

I don't believe in too much bioload personally.. filteration eventually catches up as long as you don't add everything all at once. Which is why harlequins shouldn't be kept in anything smaller than a 30 because if their prey starfish dies early you're gunna have one big mess in that itty bitty ammount of water. If you wanted to keep them in the 6 you better find one teeny skimmer and keep an eye on their food's vital signs before this happens.

After this my 10 gallon was never the same again..

Sexy shrimp are harmless, there are rumors of them picking at SPS corals but I hardly believe that as mine never bothered my corals and they're ment to host them anyway.

Any common anemone shrimp will do.. Peterson I don't know a whole lot about.. if it stays <1 1/2 inches they should be good. Keep in mind no anemone other than aiptasia can go in this tank either.. but thankfully they don't requir one.

Fire shrimp are too territoral around other shrimp in confind spaces like that. Same as camel.

Peppermint would need more room to roam.

Fish wise is a tough one.. neon gobies would be good as far as what comes to mind at the momment.

Also keep in mind that because this is a smaller area, it'll be harder for them to avoid the filtration on one side of the tank. My #1 killer of harlequin shrimp in fluval tanks is the filter which I always had to screen off. They're over kill for that small tank.

 

[Betta132]

You could also consider trimma gobies... Very tiny fish. Depends on the space they'd have in that tank.

 

[Prankster11]

My peppermints in both my 135g and the one in my 6g fluval edge just sit in one place during the day..and walk the borders in the night...plus they eat aiptasia

 

[zombot]

Anemone shrimp or Bruun shrimp would work. I'd avoid harlequin and camels. Fire shrimp would be a gamble and any additional shrimp or crab would be a gamble. I've had pretty passive fires and pretty mean ones.

 

[Betta132]

Porcelain crabs should work... They're filter-feeders who usually can't even close their claws all the way. The problem would be just feeding them enough...