Invertebrates - what would a reef tank be like without invertebrates?

[vetteguy53081]

Invertebrates are a wonderful part of reef keeping as some are ornamental and some play a role in control of algae, keeping sand loose and staying busy during the day. Called inverts, they are a creature without a backbone and often gills. They offer some of the nicest colors while most are hardy. We can view inverts as 2 different classifications. One is scavenger and other would be clean up crew often being herbivores. In essence, one group cleans up the green and the other cleans up the brown stuff.
Often being algae eaters, some popular inverts are Pitho crabs, emerald crabs, and red scarlet crabs. Carribean blue leg hermits are some of the best workers for algae. Scarlets and emerald crabs can be hard to trust. For cyano bacteria, Caribbean red leg and cerith snails will help but often cannot keep up with cyano rate of growth. Good snails for algae are astrea, cerith, turbo grazer, nerite and trochus as well as conchs.
For scavengers, there are shrimps such as cleaner and coral banded, nassarius, astrea and certain worms such as spaghetti, peanut and even yes- bristle worms. These workers consume decayed and organic matter in sand bed eliminating waste thereby reducing phosphate-nitrate and ammonia making them valuable. Anything that reduces waste is always welcome as they help improve water quality.
Some of the neat additions to a reef tank for inverts are: Shrimp, cucumbers, scallops and other mollusks, sea hare, clams, feather dusters, horseshoe crabs, starfish, nudibranchs and urchins. While having any of these offer color, movement and benefits - We must consider what is reef safe and what is not. We dont want a mantis shrimp or bobbit worm in our display tanks. Some safe specimens are (but not limited to ) :
Crabs: porcelain, Caribbean blue leg and sally light foot crabs also pom pom crabs.
Shrimps; Harlequin, cleaner and SOME peppermint shrimp.
Starfish: Brittle and serpent
Snails- nerite-astrea-cerith-nassarius- trochus - ninja star
Tunicates
Anemones

In addition, they are great additions to a newly cycled tank as soon as food sources are present in the tank and are resistant to disease. Many are also perfect for nano tanks and large tanks alike.
Do NOT add inverts to a tank that will not offer them enough food to thrive on as well as a tank that is going through chemistry changes. They are often very sensitive to quick changes in parameters and even water changes. Good acclimation is a must. I spend 1.5-2 hours acclimating them to assure my tank will be a healthy one for them as again, they are sensitive to chemistry changes.

What inverts do you have in your tank?
What do you like most about them and what benefits do you see from having them?
What inverts would you like to get your hands on? Feel free to post pics of yours.

I have nerite, astrea and turbo snails as well as fire red shrimp, bristle stars and a blue leg hermit. Even though not welcomed on my behalf- I know there is bristleworms somewhere.

 

[jda]

Full of algae and aiptasia.

Multiple kinds of shrimp, snails, crabs, conchs, urchins, pods, starfish and worms.

Where you get some of these inverts matters, so pay attention. Things like emerald crabs to eat bubble algae and peppermint shrimp eat aiptasis are best from the Florida Keys and not other places in the atlantic or the gulf.

Most inverts are sensitive to temperatures, so also pay attention to this. Some snails and crabs really suffer at 78 degrees and will do better at 76.

I also keep clams, but they are for decoration and don't really perform too much of a role for me.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Full of algae and aiptasia.

Multiple kinds of shrimp, snails, crabs, conchs, urchins, pods, starfish and worms.

Where you get some of these inverts matters, so pay attention. Things like emerald crabs to eat bubble algae and peppermint shrimp eat aiptasis are best from the Florida Keys and not other places in the atlantic or the gulf.

Most inverts are sensitive to temperatures, so also pay attention to this. Some snails and crabs really suffer at 78 degrees and will do better at 76.

I also keep clams, but they are for decoration and don't really perform too much of a role for me.

Cooler temp are definitely favorable for them. Ive seen many reefers speak of snails losses and ironically the tank temp is often 79-81 and low calcium levels