What is the best invertebrate in your opinion for reef aquariums?
- Thread starter Mina1227
- Start date
i love my urchins. they do a great job of keeping the glass clean.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/4_zps288e81cc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/4_zps288e81cc.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 4_zps288e81cc.jpg"/></a>
brittle stars are great for keeping things clean, too. i do target feed all of mine. this guy is huge, about 13" across when he's all stretched out. the pic shows him hanging on a power head, eating a piece of shrimp. this was taken when he was in my 14g. he's in a 75g now and must be getting plenty to eat because he doesn't come out as much as he used to.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/brittlestar2_zpsdcdb9b11.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/brittlestar2_zpsdcdb9b11.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo brittlestar2_zpsdcdb9b11.jpg"/></a>
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brittle stars are great for keeping things clean, too. i do target feed all of mine. this guy is huge, about 13" across when he's all stretched out. the pic shows him hanging on a power head, eating a piece of shrimp. this was taken when he was in my 14g. he's in a 75g now and must be getting plenty to eat because he doesn't come out as much as he used to.
<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/brittlestar2_zpsdcdb9b11.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/brittlestar2_zpsdcdb9b11.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo brittlestar2_zpsdcdb9b11.jpg"/></a>
Calappidae
Harlequin Shrimp
Urchins are awesome! My tuxedo will make use of the bryopsis I'm trying to kill by wearing it like a wig! Only this is they'll pick things up like that including rubble and corals.. or your hermit crab :lol:
Alot of people give them bad rep because they don't feed the tank before adding and assume these attack their new additions out of aggression instead of simply just cleaning.. but cleaner shrimp are a must have IMO.
Alot of people give them bad rep because they don't feed the tank before adding and assume these attack their new additions out of aggression instead of simply just cleaning.. but cleaner shrimp are a must have IMO.
Calappidae
Harlequin Shrimp
In a 20... Mine's antennas span out about twice as long as my hand. If you can find a mate for it they do form bonded pairs but unless you get lucky I don't think there is enough territory for more than one of the same sex.
Whiterabbitrage
New member
Ok, if I had to pick only one, I'd say Stomatella snails. I can't grow GHA because of these guys. Plus they breed like crazy and some fish and shrimp snack on the Stomas, so it's like replenish-able food right there in the tank. Plus they are fun to watch. They jizz through a little hole in their head, so they sometimes look like little volcanos.
+1 I would also probably add Trochus snails as well. Personally I will always have a cleaner shrimp but I know they can be little food thieves from anemones and corals so some people do not like them.
thenewguy997
New member
Do the tuxedos knock stuff over? I love the red ones
ReeferKimberly
Marley & Me
Love my tux urchin too. Or royal urchin. I don't know, the royal blue one 
Well it is a love hate relationship. Sometimes if I don't glue something well enough he picks it up as a hat, like zoas, gsp, xenia. My fault for not gluing it down better. Bulldozer for algae though, and comical.
And stomatellas and columbellid (mini strombus) snails as well. Small, safe, don't ever flip over and can't get back, and they breed in aquarium so never have to buy them.
I would love shrimp like cleaners but my eel eats them.
Well it is a love hate relationship. Sometimes if I don't glue something well enough he picks it up as a hat, like zoas, gsp, xenia. My fault for not gluing it down better. Bulldozer for algae though, and comical.And stomatellas and columbellid (mini strombus) snails as well. Small, safe, don't ever flip over and can't get back, and they breed in aquarium so never have to buy them.
I would love shrimp like cleaners but my eel eats them.
ReeferKimberly
Marley & Me
Only if you don't glue it down right. They might pick it up and wear it. Don't really knock things over though, ime.
I have three. Never had that problem. Stuff does stick to them and can look a little weird. Right now a shrimp molt (alpheus soror) is riding around on top of one.
I too have cleaner shrimp of various types. I have a cucumber in my larger tank (350).
thenewguy997
New member
lol they sound awesome... a few pieces of my LR are in place where if something really hit it or if a big urchin crawled on an offbalance spot then it could knock it over so im unsure about an urchin..
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