Invertebrates

 Invertebrate Tips
 
Many  people believe that invertebrates are only for mini or micro-reef  tanks. Not so.  There are quite a few invertebrates that do well in non-reef  tanks. However, not  a lot of invertebrates should be attempted by  inexperienced saltwater fish  keepers. Below is a brief summary of the more  hardy invertebrates available to  aquarists. 
 
 
Invertebrates are very sensitive to water quality.  Signs of stress due to poor water quality  will usually be exhibited first by  invertebrates. Therefore, shrimps,  anemones and other invertebrates should never
be used to cycle a tank.  Moreover, you should never add an invertebrate to a  diseased tank or a tank
which does not have stable water quality parameters  (e.g., pH, temperature, etc.). 
    Other points to note. Shrimps need iodine to properly molt, as well  as calcium . If  you do not change water regularly (which you should), or if  you do not feed live  or frozen food frequently, then you may need to supplement your water with  iodine. Without proper levels of iodine, shrimps will not molt properly and will  most likely die. Also, copper kills  invertebrates at much lower concentrations  than fish. If you have ever used copper in your tank, DO NOT put  invertebrates into the  tank. You will never be able to adequately remove all the  copper such that  you can keep invertebrates alive and happy. Finally, crabs  usually outgrow  their shell sooner or later. Therefore, you will need to provide  a new  larger shell (they usually try a few out before sticking with one, so you  will probably need at least a couple). 
 
 

 

Sea Urchins and Starfishes

Most sea
urchins and Starfishes are suitable for beginners who have a few

months
experience. Once again they vary greatly in size, shape, and
color.
Beware, some
sea urchins are poisonous. Most sea urchins and
starfish feed
on detritus and
algae, and small particles of food that
have fallen within
their reach.

Anemones

Simply
put, amemones should not be kept by beginners (sorry folks). They

all require
very strong lighting and excellent water conditions. Do
not
believe a fish store
guy that tells you otherwise. Unless you are
willing
to invest a lot of money in
proper lighting, do not try to
keep an anemone.

Crabs

There are  many different type of crabs, but the most commonly seen 
  varieties are anemone  crabs Neopetrolisthes ohshimia, arrow crabs 
 
Stenorhynchus seticornis, and hermit crabs Dardanus megistos. Anemone crabs live in anemones, as do clownfish (e.g.,  Sebae), and vary greatly in color and shape. They are usually acquired  indirectly by buying an anemone, but are some times sold separately. These  crabs should have a host anemone to feel comfortable.  Arrow crabs are very  interesting animals which should be kept one to a tank, as they  will  continually fight. Also, Arrow crabs should not be kept with Coral  Banded
Shrimps as they will fight as well. Hermit crabs are also interesting,
and  vary in color and size. Most are passive, butsome will eat corals and other  invertebrates. Crabs are generally  omnivorous and readily accept the same  foods as your fish. Like shrimp,
crabs  can only eat food which has made it  to the bottom of the tank.
Thus, ensure some  food is in reach of your  crabs.

Shrimp

There are many different shrimps available on the market, with most of them being  perfectly suitable for a lightly loaded saltwater tank. In fact, some shrimps are more suitable for fish and invertebrate tanks than for a reef tank sincethey like to eat corals. Some of the more popular shrimps are Cleaner shrimp Lysmata amboinensis, Blood
shrimp Lysmata debelius, Candycane or Peppermint shrimp
Periclimenes  brevcarpalis, and Coral Banded shrimp  Stenopus hispidus. The   cleaner shrimp is denoted by a white  on red stripe down the middle of its back.  They are fairly inexpensive  and easy to keep. They should, however, be kept  in  small groups (3-4),  as this makes them more social and more likely to come out  often. The  Blood shrimp is intensely red with some white spots. It  is a very   striking animal, but usually commands a high price. The Coral  Banded shrimp  is
very popular with reef keepers, but must be watched around  small
fish. This  shrimp has been known to eat small fish without thinking 
  twice. Most shrimps are scavengers and don't necessarily need  to be fed  overtly (they usually eat food dropped by fish). If your fish 
consume most of the food before it makes it to the bottom of the tank,
then  some extra food should be given to the shrimps after the fishes
have been fed, or at night (most shrimps are nocturnal). Shrimps
readily accept most  frozen  foods and dried foods (brine shrimp, flake
food, etc.). Stay  away from Harlequin shrimps Hymenocera sp.
as starfish are their only  source of food.

Which invertabrates should I stay away from?

Tridacna  clams (they need strong lighting), Flame scallops (they are nearly  impossible to  feed  in an aquarium as they are filter feeders), Octopi  (they have very short  life spans), Nudibranchs (they are difficult/impossible  to feed), any hard or soft coral (they need very strong lighting), and sea  squirts (they can  release  poisonous toxins into the water).

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Fish and invertebrates together?

 Many  hobbyists desire to keep a mixed collection - with both fish and  invertebrates  in the same aquarium. While such a display  can certainly  be very beautiful  (especially with symbiotic species like Anemones and Clown Fish), there can be problems involved. The most effective  treatments for saltwater "ich" also kill  invertebrates. 
  Apparently, the cell structures are similar enough between parasites and  invertebrates that the reactions to chemicals are quite the same.  Since the  treatment/removal  time for "ich" medications is at least four weeks
(please  see "Treating Saltwater  Ich"treatment  information elsewhere  in these  pages), the  unfortunate hobbyist is often forced  to sacrifice  either the  invertebrates by moving them to another tank (if one is  available) or  the  fish by risking ineffective treatment. To  further  complicate  matters, salt  water invetebrates are suspected of being  "carriers" of "ich", and since a  suitable treatment has yet to be utilized, 
  suppliers cannot guarantee that  invertebrates are free of these  parasites.
The novice saltwater  hobbyist is advised to weigh the  risks of the mixed collection against the  obvious benefits  and to make  plans accordingly. Freshwater dips and quarantine  tanks can reduce the  chances of newly acquired specimens introducing  disease to  an  established aquarium. Low fish population density (few  fish  in a large tank  as in the currently popular "reef" type  aquariums) may  reduce epidemic  outbreaks  and allow fish to deal  with parasites in their  natural  manner. It is hoped that new advances
in disease  treatment and a better understanding of parasite  control will lead to a higher  degree of  success with mixed collections.

The information in this guide is based on aquarium literature,  personal
experience  and customer feedback. Exceptions are always  possible, but these
guidelines should give a basic understanding of  the normal behavior of aquarium specimens. Many factors,  including  tank size, water quality, available  hiding places, and  even the order  in which specimens are added, can affect  compatibility.