mixing invertebrates

[reef4life!!!]

Hi all,i have a 250liter tank and when i manage to get my nitrates down i want to add some invertebrates and corals.So my question is: Can i mix in a 250liter tank without any fights 1-2 cleaner shrimps,1 ophiolepis superba,1 urchin(probably the blue tuxedo), 1 porcelain crab,1 pom pom crab,1 tiger pistol shrimp with his goby, 1-2 sexy anemone shrimps and maybe 1 conch???(Also are they producing nitrates in the tank like fish or u can add as many as u like freely?)

 

[j.falk]

Pistol shrimp can eat other shrimp and crabs. It's their natural food source.

Anything that eats food and poops creates more nitrates in the tank...it doesn't matter if it's a fish or an invertebrate. My blue legged hermit crabs are pooping machines...I swear they poop more than they eat.

 

[reef4life!!!]

Pistol shrimp can eat other shrimp and crabs. It's their natural food source.

Anything that eats food and poops creates more nitrates in the tank...it doesn't matter if it's a fish or an invertebrate. My blue legged hermit crabs are pooping machines...I swear they poop more than they eat.

I read a forum conversation that said its 50-50...There are pistol shrimps that do well with other invertebrates,especially the shrimps and some other don't...Well i will take my chances when the time comes and see the results

hahaha i see you have a hard time with those crabs ?

 

[j.falk]

I believe the smaller the pistol shrimp stays the better chances you'll have at mixing them with other inverts. Tigers are known to eat small fish and other inverts.

 

[Tired]

I've never heard a reliable report of a tiger pistol shrimp killing and eating a fish. They don't have that strong of a pop. If you're really worried, get a candycane pistol, they're tiny. Pistols mostly eat worms, amphipods, and detritus, IIRC.

Cleaner shrimp will fight unless they're a mated pair.

Brittle starfish are generally safe as long as you feed them heavily.

Tuxedo urchins are safe with most things, but can scratch acrylic and move small coral frags around.

If you get a white porcelain crab, it needs an anemone to live in, they don't seem to do too well outside them. You could get a green or blue one instead.

Pom pom crabs are very tiny and vulnerable to bullying and vanishing, you may run into some trouble with that and your fish.

Sexy shrimp can pick at corals and often eat zoanthids.

Depends highly on the species of conch. You want a little one.

Invertebrates do produce nitrates, but at a much lower rate than fish. You can't quite add as many as you like, but you can add a good few.

What are your nitrates now, and did you start with dry rock? Sometimes it gives off nitrates.

 

[reef4life!!!]

What are your nitrates now, and did you start with dry rock? Sometimes it gives off nitrates.

thanks for the info..didn't know that there are so much negatives in my invertebrate list...

the nitrates are now over 50(using salifert kits,it shows to be close to 100)
i am using live rock from the beggining(tank running almost 6 years)