mini purple/orange lobster

[Hades]

I have seen this little purple and orange lobster at my local fish store but I am not sure how it will fair in my tank. I have a 20 gallon with alot of live rock. The fish in the tank are all in the damsel family. A domino, blue devil, and a maroon clown. The invert in the tank are 5 brittle stars, 3 turbo snails, and 4 hermit crabs. I do plan on getting a rose bubble tip anemone, several zooanthids, a scallop, soft corals, and others. Should I beware this beautiful invert or can I safely introduce it to my reef aquarium?

 

[Grins]

I think you need to take a step back and rethink your entire tank. The fish you have already are very aggressive. The domino really needs a 55g and the maroon is going to outgrow that tank as well. Are the brittle stars micro stars that come in as hitch hiker ore are these full grown? If full grown you have entirely too many and if they are green they are known fish killers. I'd not get an anemone in such a small tank either. The scallop if flame is better left in the ocean. Now on to your lobster...they are predators, I'd not put one in the nano unless you're going to make it your showpiece.

 

[Hades]

The domino and the blue devil were used to cycle the tank and I think the domino will be returned to the LFS when he does out grow the environment. It is not uncommon for those with nano tanks to buy fish that will out grow the tank and sell them back to the fish store when they are ready to go. Also many fish have growth inhibitors in the urine and when in a confined environment slow their overall growth. The brittle stars are about 1.5 inches from one arm tip to the opposite one. Nitrogen in the tank is extremely stable with zero nitrites and zero nitrates. As far as water quality goes I would not even be concerned in adding another fish eventually to the tank. My only caution is the environment size. In my gut I agree that a lobster in such a small environment would be tempting fate. I could add a small baby blue lobster that my LFS carries and if nitrates did slowly rise I would not mind dumping the brittle stars, they were free.

 

[Hades]

Any other opinions?

 

[Guygettnby]

i would stay away from it with a 20g tank. i had a 20g reef tank that i added a small lobster in and he like to destroy thing. defilently not reef safe.

i wouldnt recomend it in anything smaller then a 55g.

 

[Hades]

how do you feel about a tiny spiny blue lobster in my 20 gallon, they dont have claws and my LFS regularly gets really tiny ones.

 

[Grins]

I'm not a fan of stunting or fish cycling. I still believe that the tank needs another look before adding anything.

 

[dadonoflaw]

i have the lobster you speak of. i have a 180. if you are going to attempt this and you value inverts and anything meaty in your tank you will need to feed it. it eats alot and is apt to aggression. the fish i have keep its agggression in check but in a tank that size you will prolly loose something

 

[Hades]

dadonoflaw are you posting about a purple/orange lobster you have or the spiny blue lobsters that lack claws? I always thought the spiny blue lobster couldn't kill any fish since it doesnt have any claws.