Anemone (Porcelain) Crab tankmates

[Alexopora]

I am thinking of spicing up my reef tanks with some porcelain crabs. Just wondering if anyone has positive experiences with porcelain crabs and the following inverts;

1. Sexy shrimps (Thor amboinensis)
2. Peacock Tail Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes brevicarpalis)

These are the inverts (currently in my tank) which I would anticipate to have the most interaction and contact with the Porcelain crab since they would occupy similar niches. I don’t actually have anemones currently but I have lots of mushrooms (discosoma, rhodactis, ricordea).

My sexies don’t really stay in one area and basically roam the entire tank since I only have two fish (one banggai and one ocellaris clown). The peacock tail mainly hosts the mushroom patch.

 

[lapin]

They feel safe and should do well if you have a nem for them to live and play on. Question will be if it feels safe on another type of nem

Porcelain Anemone Crab – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet, and Breeding - Shrimp and Snail Breeder

This guide will teach you more about keeping Porcelain Anemone crab plus better ways to take good care of them, including their compatibility

aquariumbreeder.com

 

[ScottR]

They’re best housed with a nem, definitely. They may also choose a coral with long tentacles. They’re weak crabs (not true crabs) and use the nem for shelter.

 

[Alexopora]

They feel safe and should do well if you have a nem for them to live and play on. Question will be if it feels safe on another type of nem

Porcelain Anemone Crab – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet, and Breeding - Shrimp and Snail Breeder

This guide will teach you more about keeping Porcelain Anemone crab plus better ways to take good care of them, including their compatibility

aquariumbreeder.com

I think I should have worded my question better. I wanted to know if anyone has positive experience housing porcelain crabs with sexy shrimps and peacock tail anemone shrimps.

 

[Alexopora]

They’re best housed with a nem, definitely. They may also choose a coral with long tentacles. They’re weak crabs (not true crabs) and use the nem for shelter.

Right, I think Rock Flower Nems would be the best for them. Just that I wanted to know if porcelains would coexist with other anemone shrimps. Even if there’s multiple hosts (nems, mushs, euphylias etc).

 

[ScottR]

Right, I think Rock Flower Nems would be the best for them. Just that I wanted to know if porcelains would coexist with other anemone shrimps. Even if there’s multiple hosts (nems, mushs, euphylias etc).

I’ve never tried. If you have multiple nems, it should work. They may stay away from each other. Neither sexy shrimps nor porcelain crabs are aggressive and both aren’t really strong enough to duke it out so to speak. If you’ve got only one nem, I wouldn’t mix both however.

 

[ScottR]

My now deceased porcelain crab would go back and forth between my BTAs and dendros. He would usually leave when the BTA closed up or decided to walk. He didn’t seem to mind other tank mates but would wave its claws at peppermint shrimps that would try to pick at its home.

 

[Alexopora]

My now deceased porcelain crab would go back and forth between my BTAs and dendros. He would usually leave when the BTA closed up or decided to walk. He didn’t seem to mind other tank mates but would wave its claws at peppermint shrimps that would try to pick at its home.

That’s a really pretty Porcelain crab. He really sounds like your nem’s and dendro’s guardian.

 

[ScottR]

That’s a really pretty Porcelain crab. He really sounds like your nem’s and dendro’s guardian.

This was in a tank I had a couple of years ago. I loved that guy but he disappeared, probably eaten by my hawkfish. Lovely crab and very easy to care for. Their claws are very weak so I had to target feed it food slowly every week or so.

 

[Alexopora]

This was in a tank I had a couple of years ago. I loved that guy but he disappeared, probably eaten by my hawkfish. Lovely crab and very easy to care for. Their claws are very weak so I had to target feed it food slowly every week or so.

Ahhh, what a shame. They are not always readily available compared to other crustaceans (sexy shrimps for example). I had one when I first started reefing three years back. But didnt last long due to poor husbandry and definitely isn’t one for newbies. I guess I’m looking for something new besides corals, clams, shrimps, hermits and fish. Figured I’d try porcelain crabs once again since they are available at my lfs.

 

[ScottR]

Ahhh, what a shame. They are not always readily available compared to other crustaceans (sexy shrimps for example). I had one when I first started reefing three years back. But didnt last long due to poor husbandry and definitely isn’t one for newbies. I guess I’m looking for something new besides corals, clams, shrimps, hermits and fish. Figured I’d try porcelain crabs once again since they are available at my lfs.

They’re one of my favorite inverts and I dearly miss mine. My kids also loved watching it. So I hear ya on that. I’ve always been scared to keep sexy shrimp because they are so small and look like they’d be dinner fast. Keep us updated what you decide to do.

 

[Alexopora]

They’re one of my favorite inverts and I dearly miss mine. My kids also loved watching it. So I hear ya on that. I’ve always been scared to keep sexy shrimp because they are so small and look like they’d be dinner fast. Keep us updated what you decide to do.

Sexies are quite easy going for me since they were among the first inhabitants. So they are way more established than the banggai and clownfish. Since there’s sps there’s alot of nooks and crannies for them to hide if they feel threatened but the two fish really don’t notice them at all. I’ll probably get the porcelain crabs first and make do with mushrooms and euphylia while I look around for some nice nems. Rock Flowers aren’t in season so I’ll most likely go with a BTA. I decided to not put the porcelains crabs into the tank that has the sexy shrimps and peacock tail anemone shrimp since that tank is established with alot of sps. I don’t want the nem to wreck havoc. So i’ll go with this mostly empty tank that has been up since June. There’s like a xenia and a leptastrea frag so not really much the nem could do.

 

[ScottR]

Sexies are quite easy going for me since they were among the first inhabitants. So they are way more established than the banggai and clownfish. Since there’s sps there’s alot of nooks and crannies for them to hide if they feel threatened but the two fish really don’t notice them at all. I’ll probably get the porcelain crabs first and make do with mushrooms and euphylia while I look around for some nice nems. Rock Flowers aren’t in season so I’ll most likely go with a BTA. I decided to not put the porcelains crabs into the tank that has the sexy shrimps and peacock tail anemone shrimp since that tank is established with alot of sps. I don’t want the nem to wreck havoc. So i’ll go with this mostly empty tank that has been up since June. There’s like a xenia and a leptastrea frag so not really much the nem could do.

Should be ok. How big is the tank? Honestly, the crabs can just live in a nook on the rock. If plenty of space for things to hide and live without being crowded, the success rate is much higher.

 

[Alexopora]

Should be ok. How big is the tank? Honestly, the crabs can just live in a nook on the rock. If plenty of space for things to hide and live without being crowded, the success rate is much higher.

The one with the Sexies and peacock anemone shrimp, 30gal. The mostly empty one, 25 gal. I have two more 20 gals tank but those are also established lps tanks, so I don’t wanna risk the Nems wrecking havoc.