Inverts that get along together.

[dakoa]

I currently have a 5.5 gallon and I am hoping to fill it up with interesting inverts but I am unsure of what gets on very well. I currently have my cuc (snails and hermits) along with an emerald crab and nano serpent star. I am looking at getting a porcelain crab, some sexy shrimp, a cluster duster, and maybe a mini max anemone. Can anyone tell how well these may get along or problems I my have or maybe some other cool inverts!

 

[straydog]

If they all have room in the rock work to have a place to retreat to it should be fine. A small strawberry crab would work its alot like the emerald in behavior.

 

[weaglereefer]

I don't think I'd put any kind of anemone in a tank that small.

As for inverts, while it may be too late for your CUC, you could swap "normal" hermits for "fancy" hermits like the Halloween striped, etc. Sexy shrimp would be cool, and I don't know what a cluster duster is...

 

[dakoa]

Cluster duster is large grouping of some tiny feather dusters. You can google for some cool images (I think they are sweet). I started with a smaller size cuc crew so looked into some cool hermits is a defiant possibility. Also I have a good bit of rock so there should be lots of places for hidey-holes.

 

[enderg60]

If it were me I would add

2-4 maxi nems
petterson shrimp(sp?)
sexy shrimp
porcelain crab
boxing crab(aka pom pom crab)
Blood/fire shrimp
Red leg hermit
Halloween crab
electric blue hermit
few snails
pistol/goby pair(small versions)

and just be sure to keep everyone fed so they dont go hunting

Edit, do NOT add feather dusters or duster clusters. they are hard enough to keep fed in a large tank, if you feed them you will crash a tank that small, or they will die.

 

[mcphock]

Does this sound like a ridiculous bioload for a 5.5 gallon tank to anyone else?

 

[straydog]

What makes it a ridiculous bioload? Inverts have a much lower impact on the bioload compared to fish that need larger feedings and don't eat all that is fed compared to inverts that can be fed much less and will continue to scavenge until all the food is eaten.

 

[enderg60]

McPhock;687247 wrote: Does this sound like a ridiculous bioload for a 5.5 gallon tank to anyone else?

aside from the maxi nems, and add a neon goby thats about what I have in my sisters 3g nano. 1 gal water change every 2 weeks and its doing just fine.

Inverts really dont have much bioload.

 

[dakoa]

Will the sexy shrimp keep all the other inverts from getting eaten by the maxi mini?

 

[straydog]

I think if you start with one small enough (I saw one the size of a quater Sunday) it should be fine if its kept far enough from the rock work where most of the inverts will spend most of there time.

 

[dakoa]

OK so this is what I am thinking but I want some input so I atleast dont do something that isn't super dumb .
I currently have:
1 Emerald Crab (female and doing a great job on my bubble and hair algae might I add)
3 dwarf blue leg hermits
3 Astraea snails
1 Nassarius snail
1 Nano serpent star

Hope to add:
1-2 Porcelain Crab/anemone crab
1-3 Sexy Shrimp/Anemone Shrimp
1 Cleaner shrimp (not sure which leaning towards peppermint because I think it stays smaller)
0-3 Snails (would like to get some nerite, ceriths, or zebras)
0-2 Hermits (would like to add some different colors)
1-2 Pom Pom Crabs
1 Maxi Mini

I am going to go with no fish so I should have more bioload to play with. Also I plant on having a lot of live rock for everyone to have there one places to hide.

 

[darcurr]

You should consider a pederson Anemone shrimp like Ender said instead of one of the sexys. I have one and it is very interesting. Only catch is only a few places sell them Look at sealifeinc.net they have them. I'd love to get a periclemines yucatani (sp?) from them. Maybe when can get a group buy together and save on shipping :thumbs: