Stocking Order Suggestions: 25g Lagoon

BurlyWizard

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Hi all,

I'm currently cycling a shallow 25g lagoon, which will end up being a semi-planted invert-heavy tank. Outside of hermits, emerald crabs, etc., the stocking list is below. Please help me order this in the most logical way for hardiness (recently after cycle), temperament, and dietary needs (algae, growth, etc.). The tank will not have any corals or anemones.

Plants:
- 2x Red Mangrove XL (shipped with roots & leaves)
- 2x Shaving brush
- 2x Christmas Tree

Livestock:
- 1x Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
- 3x Peppermint or Camelback shrimp
- 2x Sexy Shrimp
- 2x Emerald Crabs
- 2x Pom Pom Crabs
- 1x Tuxedo Urchin
- 1x Brittle Sea Star
- 1x Fire Shrimp (XS) - I know this may not get along with the skunk, so I'll add it last and hope for the best
- If I can find them: 1x Pitho Crab & Squat lobster
- 3x Damsels - thinking Azure or Yellowtail

If you could help me put them in order or understand any sequential needs, that would be great.

Thank you!!
 

Luciferene

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Looks like you have an exciting plan ahead of you! As with any stocking plan, availability will be a big factor but here's my suggestion.

For the first few I'd start with commonly available inverts that will readily feed on your pellet food.

For example Skunk Cleaners are great as they'll actively respond to feeding so not many pellets will just lie around rotting. With early stages of tank this will be key.
1. Skunk Cleaner, Peppermint, Emerald Crab - I'd suggest putting them in increments if you're worried about raising stocking levels too early

Then I'd put in the fish and other inverts which may need a bit more detritus in tank and for fish to start getting nutrients up for plants

3 Damsels will be a hit and a miss depending on their personality but I think best bet is to introduce them all at once. You should take precautionary measures with bacteria in a bottle, ammonia tests(Seachem Ammonia badge is great to monitor early tank cycle) and Seachem Prime(Used as ammonia binder).
2. Damsels, Pompoms, Peppermint

After your tank has matured and settled you should start adding some plants. You could also start adding them along with #2 which will help buffer any nutrients issues with tank, but I'd prefer to add them later.
3. Plants

Brittle star and urchins will have to go last as they need mature tank with significant amount of algae and detritus. With that said I'm not sure if they'd be enough in a 25Gallon to support both.
4. Starfish and Urchins.

Another potential problem I see are # of shrimps, as there really won't be much territory for them. I'd say Fire Shrimp being timid is less of an issue but Peppermint may be. You'll have to keep an eye on them and rehome if needed.

One suggestion is to seed a lot of pods even before Step 1 when you're cycling. They'll provide a lot of biodiversity for your inverts and their excreted will also fuel an environment for detritus and algae eaters

As always plan a lot, research a lot and be amused at how different the endgame turns out.

Jay
 
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BurlyWizard

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Thank you so much. This style of response is exactly what I was hoping for.

I did forget to mention I intend to add 2x Porcelain Crabs as well. I'm fine scrubbing the brittle sea star, as they are mainly nocturnal anyways.

Regarding the shrimp, would skunk (1), fire (1), camelback (3), & sexy (2) be a better fit than swapping the camelback with peppermints?
 

Luciferene

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Thank you so much. This style of response is exactly what I was hoping for.

I did forget to mention I intend to add 2x Porcelain Crabs as well. I'm fine scrubbing the brittle sea star, as they are mainly nocturnal anyways.

Regarding the shrimp, would skunk (1), fire (1), camelback (3), & sexy (2) be a better fit than swapping the camelback with peppermints?
Glad I could help!

I think not many people get inverts beyond cleanup crew do the interaction is hard to tell. I'd say it depends on how much caves overhang, etc.

I'm not too familiar camel shrimp but it seems more peaceful. With that many shrimps though, I don't think it's as much species but just general competition and aggression managing.

Few things you can consider are for shrimps to coexist are:
  • At this point shrimps are not just "clean up crew" and should be fed directly. Aggression issues generally happen with competition in food and territory.
  • When I bred freshwater shrimps, sinking wafers were really good form of feed for shrimp since it didn't float around everywhere and foul the tank. With that said cleaner shrimps and peppermints will readily catch pellet food from water column much like fish.
  • Sexy shrimp lives off symbyotic anemone (or sometimes other flowy corals). I'm not sure if they can live without and you'll probably have to look into that
Porcelain crabs can be filter feeding or carnivorous, so I'd add it along with plants or later. If there isn't enough particulate in the water column, they may resort to other means of feeding.

Inverte are very opportunistic, so there won't really be a conclusive compatibility. But at the same time crabs you picked are generally on peaceful side and shrimps will harass rather then straight up kill each other.

So as long as you observe their behavior, you'll likely not see a overnight murder spree.

Cheers!
Jay
 
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BurlyWizard

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  • Sexy shrimp lives off symbyotic anemone (or sometimes other flowy corals). I'm not sure if they can live without and you'll probably have to look into that

It looks like they are able to be housed without an anemone. What are your thoughts one the updated waves below:

Wave 1: After cycling completes
- 1x Cleaner Shrimp
- 2x Emerald Crabs

Wave 2:
- 3x Camels/Peppermints
- 2x Pom pom crabs

Wave 3:
- 3x Damsels: Leaning Azure, Starcki, or Springeri
- 2x Sexy Shrimp

Wave 4:
- 2x Porcelain crabs
- Marine Plants

Wave 5: When algae is present for urchin & all other shrimp are in
- Tuxedo Urchin** (Small)
- Fire Shrimp** (As small as possible)
 

Luciferene

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It looks like they are able to be housed without an anemone. What are your thoughts one the updated waves below:

Wave 1: After cycling completes
- 1x Cleaner Shrimp
- 2x Emerald Crabs

Wave 2:
- 3x Camels/Peppermints
- 2x Pom pom crabs

Wave 3:
- 3x Damsels: Leaning Azure, Starcki, or Springeri
- 2x Sexy Shrimp

Wave 4:
- 2x Porcelain crabs
- Marine Plants

Wave 5: When algae is present for urchin & all other shrimp are in
- Tuxedo Urchin** (Small)
- Fire Shrimp** (As small as possible)

Only thing I could suggest would be Fire Shrimp (if you're talking about the lysmata sp.) can go in earlier or not so small. It's probably the shyiest of your shrimp list.

I don't know the other one but Springrii and Azure are probably the 2 most peaceful damsels so that's a good choice.

Anyways your plan looks good! You should create a build thread so I can follow it
 
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BurlyWizard

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Anyways your plan looks good! You should create a build thread so I can follow it

Build Thread is rolling!

In terms of the fire shrimp, your species name pulled up peppermint shrimp when I googled, but what I meant by fire shrimp is Lysmata debelius, which I was told would be the most aggressive in a tank with a skunk, camelbacks, and sexy shrimp. So I was going to add it last.
 
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Luciferene

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Build Thread is rolling!

In terms of the fire shrimp, your species name pulled up peppermint shrimp when I googled, but what I meant by fire shrimp is Lysmata debelius, which I was told would be the most aggressive in a tank with a skunk, camelbacks, and sexy shrimp. So I was going to add it last.
Ah Lysmatw Sp. just means all species in the genus lysmata, which includes Skunk Cleaner, Peppermint and Fire Shrimp. In fact that's why they can show aggression to each other.

It's my understanding that aggression will be generally Peppermint > Skunk Cleaner > Blood Red.

Love the Lagoon style!
 

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