Best inverts for crushed coral substrate and general invert questions.

minerman

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Hello!

I know a lot of members have sand as their base. I am weird and prefer crushed coral. I am starting a new tank that has had clowns for a couple weeks. So a few questions:

1. What inverts are compatible with crushed coral? I also have a good bit of porous dry rock stacked up and a nice cave system built. Or if most are compatible, which ones would you avoid? Sounds like a pistol shrimp is not a good idea. I saw a video that said they could "choke" on rocks?
2. Are there certain inverts that are better for beginners or are they all pretty much the same as far as hardiness?
3. As far as difficulty is there a progression or order of inverts that should be added to a tank?

I am thinking maybe a scarlet skunk shrimp would be a great first invert addition to my tank. I think it would crawl my rocks and substrate, cleaning up food waste. True? Other ideas?
 

SlugSnorter

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your skunk may clean the substrate but maybe not. A few smaller hermits, and some snails could really help! a fighting conch maybe. Skunks wouldn't hurt though!, maybe not a sand sifter like certain gobies, or a digger like a pistol shrimp, but lots of other stuff should be fine.
 
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minerman

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Thank you! I did get a skunk and its been doing really great. Although, it mostly hangs out on my rocks vs. the substrate. Quite a fun addition to the tank though, really glad I got it.

Here soon I'm going to get some snails and also maybe a goby. I have just been waiting a little bit to make sure whatever I get has plenty to eat. My thought is maybe a Green Clown Goby + 10 Nassaurius Snails + 10 Trochus Snails (For the glass)
 

Fish Think Pink

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Hello!

I know a lot of members have sand as their base. I am weird and prefer crushed coral. I am starting a new tank that has had clowns for a couple weeks. So a few questions:

1. What inverts are compatible with crushed coral? I also have a good bit of porous dry rock stacked up and a nice cave system built. Or if most are compatible, which ones would you avoid? Sounds like a pistol shrimp is not a good idea. I saw a video that said they could "choke" on rocks?
2. Are there certain inverts that are better for beginners or are they all pretty much the same as far as hardiness?
3. As far as difficulty is there a progression or order of inverts that should be added to a tank?

I am thinking maybe a scarlet skunk shrimp would be a great first invert addition to my tank. I think it would crawl my rocks and substrate, cleaning up food waste. True? Other ideas?

Years ago I was crushed coral argonite and used to trumpet its many advantages. Then I got a used tank that came with both wrasse and sand, so I went sand... was concerned the larger argonite might irritate my small diamond goby or interfere with wrasse sleeping in substrate, or... SO, Switched HALF (left side) over, and I've been watching. Nothing seems to matter either way.

My 2 skunk shrimp never wanted their feet to touch sand and they feel same way about argonite... DIVAS! Don't clean fish either. They are spoiled and will swim from rock to rock... Yesterday I cut back on food and they'd still rather steal from something than find their own, but they did go down to the rock/substrate line and poke about in the argonite.

Small diamond goby is blurring the middle line between the sand and argonite, so I may always have mashup substrate going forward.

IMO based on my experiences so far - don't think anything cares so its your personal preference.
 

SlugSnorter

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Thank you! I did get a skunk and its been doing really great. Although, it mostly hangs out on my rocks vs. the substrate. Quite a fun addition to the tank though, really glad I got it.

Here soon I'm going to get some snails and also maybe a goby. I have just been waiting a little bit to make sure whatever I get has plenty to eat. My thought is maybe a Green Clown Goby + 10 Nassaurius Snails + 10 Trochus Snails (For the glass)
sounds pretty good, im a bit hermit biased and like electric blues, which could be cool
 

EricR

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I agree that (at least in my limited experience) doesn't seem to matter.
I started with mostly crushed coral and tried to keep about 1/4 of the bottom on one side as finer sand. (In the end it eventually got all mixed together from vacuuming/etc).

Diggers that I like and have that never seemed to mind the crushed coral:
-- Tiger sand conch
-- Nassarius snails

Other inverts I have/like that never posed a problem care-wise (to me as a beginner):
-- Pink urchin (basically a pincushion urchin)
-- Chocolate chip sea star

*non-related note -- I did a tank transfer and went with new CaribSea "special grade" sand (1-2mm grain size) and really like the texture, so do the "diggers"
 

SlugSnorter

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I agree that (at least in my limited experience) doesn't seem to matter.
I started with mostly crushed coral and tried to keep about 1/4 of the bottom on one side as finer sand. (In the end it eventually got all mixed together from vacuuming/etc).

Diggers that I like and have that never seemed to mind the crushed coral:
-- Tiger sand conch
-- Nassarius snails

Other inverts I have/like that never posed a problem care-wise (to me as a beginner):
-- Pink urchin (basically a pincushion urchin)
-- Chocolate chip sea star

*non-related note -- I did a tank transfer and went with new CaribSea "special grade" sand (1-2mm grain size) and really like the texture, so do the "diggers"
Depends on why they dig and how, the issue can be with things that need to build burrows if the sand is too fine or too corse
 

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