Never add "THIS INVERT" to your reef aquarium?

Are there common inverts (snails, crabs, etc.) that you would NEVER put in your reef?

  • YES (tell us why)

    Votes: 165 74.0%
  • NO

    Votes: 53 23.8%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 5 2.2%

  • Total voters
    223

PeterEde

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I've had a longspine urchin since I put my first LR in the tank at week 2. It was smaller than my little finger nail. Now body size of a gold ball.
I'm now at 10 months and it's still alive. My No3 has never been below 15ppm and currently at 50.
I also found a new Tuxedo urchin recently from my last piece of rock.
Personally i am done with urchins. Not because i dont like them because they look so cool

But i dont know many people that have had long term success with them. They seem to be sooooooooooooooooo sensitve to any peramiter swing and then just die

Never again
 

alabella1

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I love my little guy though! They are demanding though I know and just aren’t known to do well a lot of times in captivity.
30ABFF10-E8CA-4251-9164-8F1A34CA68AD.jpeg
That is a beautiful creature. What is it?? I have 2 linkias that do well.
 

alabella1

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Oh yeah I mean the most common ones like blue linckia…tiled fromia etc. I will say chocolate chip stars have been known to be easier in regards to starfish but some they may eat corals. I know of people who say they are reef safe and others who say they aren’t. Same thing with my star who hasn’t touched a coral.
Learned this lesson the hard way in my first month or so of reefing. My in laws got me a couple fish and a choc chip star and all was well until i notices he completely wiped out one of my frags. He went to my small fowlr tank with 2 clowns and did not survive long.
 

alabella1

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I would recommend staying away from the sea cucumbers for a typical home sized reef aquarium. I had a 5" black version enter a power head and the toxins released crashed my old 55g.
I've had a tiger tail for over a year and he's been a model citizen. Keeps the sand clean and is fun to watch at night.
 

alabella1

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True, but I know one day I will find that every single one of my fish died, and there will only be him, sitting upon a rock with his weird little elephant trunk and beady yellow eyes, cackling with glee at the destruction he has wrought.
May I ask how many supposed "Velvet outbreaks" were caused by this malicious mollusk?!
How many times have you wondered "Hey where are all my hermit crabs?" and have seen him there putting his snozz in the dirt?
Covered with salt-like grains!! he was just getting them seasoned......
Wait, what?
 

Nano sapiens

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I've had a tiger tail for over a year and he's been a model citizen. Keeps the sand clean and is fun to watch at night.

I had mine for about 2-1/2 years before disaster struck.

Perhaps 'Have one with caution' is a better way to put it. If anyone does have one of these, best to make sure there is no way it can get harmed in the aquarium (especially powerheads).
 

alabella1

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I had mine for about 2-1/2 years before disaster struck.

Perhaps 'Have one with caution' is a better way to put it. If anyone does have one of these, best to make sure there is no way it can get harmed in the aquarium (especially powerheads).
My MP40s have guards and hoods on them so I am hopeful he will keep away. I will soon move him from my 65 to my 155 and hope he does well with all the new ground to cover.
 

Mackey

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I love my conch. He keeps the sand so clean.
This is indeed sad, yet another person who was being beguiled by Strombus alatus and has sacrificed their morals for a pristine sandbed. This devious critter seeks the ruin of us all. We must stand united against it or we shall fall...
 

Bruce Burnett

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There are no hermit crabs or crabs of any kind in my systems.

fish snails and sea urchins will eat the same stuff hermits will. Without the side affect of murdering snails.
No urchins in my tank, but like you I have had crabs before but never again, the decimate snails and even some will go after coral. I di have a few couch.
 

Reefahholic

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I’ll never put another Hermit crab in my reef. Every time I’ve done it I’ve regretted it. They hunt your other snails. I just removed some from my reef.
 

Gary67

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i have tried a bunch of different types of inverts not into the hobby that long i needed the pepperm shrimp for the aiptasia along with the liquid aiptasia fro what i heard the shrimp when the water gets warm they go deep so i was fighting these things with the liquid until they caught some
 

roggy23

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Personally i am done with urchins. Not because i dont like them because they look so cool

But i dont know many people that have had long term success with them. They seem to be sooooooooooooooooo sensitve to any peramiter swing and then just die

Never again
I have 4 that are thriving for months
 

Nano sapiens

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Holloween hermit crab. Will basically eat anything it can get it's claws around. Ruthless killer imho.

Which one?

There are two types of 'Halloween Hermits'. One is an orange/black color variant of the Blue Knuckled Hermit crab (Calicinus elegans) and this one I found quite aggressive. The other one is one of four species in the Ciliopagurus genus and I have had this one for a while in my current nano without issues (I only have tiny collunista snails, so no worries there).
 

Paullawr

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Pin cushion urchin without copious amounts of added food. Had a beautiful bubble tip and after adding urchin, the day later had disappeared.

Thought perhaps a pump accident.

A few weeks later at return to LFS I purchased another.

Back in tank, settles quickly and attached to rock.

As they do, moved around which guessed was just looking for that right spot. Until it dawned on me that the urchin for all intents and purposes was following it.

The nem finally found a cave which the urchin couldn’t go in. Except the urchin waited…and waited. Eventually the nem moved out and ended up a snack. Yes saw it in the act.

Urchin was so donated back to LFS.
 

Just grow it: Have you ever added CO2 to your reef tank?

  • I currently use a CO2 with my reef tank.

    Votes: 8 5.7%
  • I don’t currently use CO2 with my reef tank, but I have in the past.

    Votes: 5 3.6%
  • I have never used CO2 with my reef tank, but I plan to in the future.

    Votes: 7 5.0%
  • I have never used CO2 with my reef tank and have no plans to in the future.

    Votes: 114 81.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 6 4.3%
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