maxi mini carpet

[JReefaddict]

so ive been looking a little bit into mini carpets because i have 4 sexy shrimp in a cube and was thinking about an anemone for them if i could find one that would be small enough for the tank. the tank in question is a 3 gallon cube. is this too small for a mini carpet? and how are mini carpets temperament wise? i know normal carpets can and will eat anything and everything in sight, is this the same for the mini carpets or are they not as aggressive?

 

[NanaReefer]

I have 2 MM's. Combined they've eaten 4 fish :( Still I've managed to keep a few fish who are very wise to them and stay clear. It is not that they are aggressive per say, but they are sticky as all heck! Anything that bumps/brushes into them can pretty much be had. I also have 2 Sexy's M/F :)
Do you have plans for keeping a fish?

 

[FroggyKnight]

I love my MMs, they are very hardy little guys! A couple should do fine in a tank that size, just keep it clean. Like any anemone, they can add a decent bio load IME.

Like NanaReefer said, they are very sticky and can consume small fish or sting coral if care is not taken. They are easier to manage than other nems due to their size though.

John

PS. My sexy shrimp had no problem with the maxi minis in my 14g.

 

[JReefaddict]

I don't plan on having a fish. Maybe one small one. But most likely no fish. I was possibly going to keep some coral in that tank. Either some zoas or maybe an acan or two I'm not rele sure yet. I read that sexy shrimp will host an anemone and decided I'd try to find one for them

 

[FishLipz]

I've had two in my 180 gallon for years. Mine have set up shop near where the rock and substrate come together. The only time one of them moved was when my patch of Yuma mushrooms started moving in and the mushroom apparently was packing a bigger punch. I'm looking for an anemone crab pair for mine right now

 

[newo11]

I would not add more than one to a tank that size. I have a 4 gallon pico that has 5 sexy shrimp. I tried adding one maxi mini and it was fine. As soon as I added two more either chemical warfare broke out or something happened and I lost all thee maxi's. The sexy shrimp ate them btw, as soon as the maxi's were weakened. Be careful with sexies - they will eat zoas, mushrooms, other soft corals and even LPS. As soon as a coral shows any sign of weakness the sexies will take it out completely! Or at lest that has been my experience in the pico.

 

[JReefaddict]

That's good info to know about them eating anything weakened. I was thinking only one maxi mini for the tank and most likely just having it be a species tank for them. I would like to put some coral in there but not if the sexies have an appetite for anything that weakens

 

[newo11]

Mine is a species specific tank as well. Or at least it started out that way. I do have a yasha goby in there as well as multiple yumas, ricordeas and frilly mushrooms. They seem to do well with the mushrooms but will eat a new one every once in a while when I add a new addition from time to time. They keep the tank very clean. That pico is the easiest tank I've had - lowest maintenance of all and it's the smallest by far.

 

[JReefaddict]

I was thinking something along the lines of mushrooms or some gsp on a tiny rock. Something hardy. I love that water changes take a minute to do compared to my 57 and 180 takes about an hour to do both

 

[newo11]

I actually have some GSP in mine as well!

Some pics I had on my phone of mine. iPhone pics so sorry for the limited quality. Good luck with yours!

 

[JReefaddict]

I like yours. I think I'm going to get some Florida rics and try and grab some gsp from my other tank

 

[newo11]

Thanks. Sorry to jack up your thread a bit. I may have a pic of the maxi I had in there if you were curious to see it. One thing that has been interesting. The GSP barely grows in this tank (thank goodness) while it grows like wildfire in my larger tank.

 

[JReefaddict]

That's interesting. I have some gsp that grows slow in one tank and is growing pretty fast in my other tank

 

[newo11]

The GSP has been in the pico for over a year. Started out as a small 1/4 inch frag. Took a year to grow to about an inch. Now I do nothing to this tank. Just a water change every three weeks or so. No dosing, no additives. I am sure that does contribute to its slow growth.

 

[JReefaddict]

I wouldn't know where to begin dosing a pico. It's such a small tank I would think it would be better off with just regular water changes. Easier also I would think

 

[FroggyKnight]

I would not add more than one to a tank that size. I have a 4 gallon pico that has 5 sexy shrimp. I tried adding one maxi mini and it was fine. As soon as I added two more either chemical warfare broke out or something happened and I lost all thee maxi's. The sexy shrimp ate them btw, as soon as the maxi's were weakened. Be careful with sexies - they will eat zoas, mushrooms, other soft corals and even LPS. As soon as a coral shows any sign of weakness the sexies will take it out completely! Or at lest that has been my experience in the pico.

BEWARE SEXY SHRIMP! They can definitely eat your coral. I decided to try a couple and they destroyed all of my acans and ate half my zoas. The coral does not have to be "weak" to be food. Some people say that they can be safe if you feed them well, but thats not always true. I ended up trading them back to my LFS.

John

 

[JReefaddict]

Hmm. I may just put a mm in and maybe a small goby and that's it