More inverts?

[Ga912]

I have a 3 gallon picotope with two blue legged hermit crabs, porcelain crab, emerald crab, and various tiny hitchikers. I was wondering could I get any other livestock. I also have corals so if possible coral friendly. No fish.

[cjm3fl]

You could look into some of the small shrimp species.

I'd be a little leery of any 'soft' inverts (snails or worms) with the Blue-legged Hermits.

The Porcelain should be OK with any new inverts.

I don't know much about Emerald crabs.

[Ga912]

Yeah the emerald already ate two hitchhiker snails but he doesn't bother anything else.

Will the shrimp eat my corals. And are there any cool unique inverts I could add.

[cjm3fl]

No one can say that an animal won't cause a problem.

But there are a number of smaller shrimp that are "normally" very reef safe.

Which shrimp you might get depend on if you're ever going to put fish in the tank.

Larger fish can eat some of the small shrimp that I like. But with no fish, or small one, the Sexy shrimp can be a good pick.

Some of the small anemone shrimps; Pederson's or White Spot usually do really well.

[Ga912]

Thanks. I don't want any fish just inverts. What about any small clams.

[cjm3fl]

Then you have lots of options for shrimp and so other inverts.

With no fish a few Halocaridina rubra (Opae Ula) could be nice with what you have and plan.

Many folks use this tiny shrimp as live food but they are neat little guys.

[Ga912]

Thanks

[amphipod]

Those crabs can be difficult tank specimens, if you are willing to sacrifice coral keeping you could advance it to a crab tank, and have algaes as the colors in the tank. Or as chuck mentioned shrimp tank, or still you could include some nasty pistol shrimps, lots of options. I have a crab only tank, nothing sessile lives in that tank, no easily visible worms either lol, as for algae I have only got diatoms, and a few other microalgaes and one red algae the crabs haven't totaled lol

[Ga912]

Thanks for the help it's hard to sacrifice the corals. I like the crabs I keep them well fed so everything is getting along so far. But it's a fine line if I don't feed them they get a little to active. But I love having crabs. Now this might be pushing it or just stupid what do u guys think of a pistol shrimp. Or will it totally destroy my crabs my emerald is a nice size and the more aggressive of the crabs. Thanks

My lfs has a pistol shrimp I've been eyeing for the longest.

[hypostatic]

Most "reef safe" shrimp should be ok with what you have. If you don't feed them regularly they might get hungry and pick at corals

[amphipod]

Thanks for the help it's hard to sacrifice the corals. I like the crabs I keep them well fed so everything is getting along so far. But it's a fine line if I don't feed them they get a little to active. But I love having crabs. Now this might be pushing it or just stupid what do u guys think of a pistol shrimp. Or will it totally destroy my crabs my emerald is a nice size and the more aggressive of the crabs. Thanks

My lfs has a pistol shrimp I've been eyeing for the longest.

small pistols are fine big ones can kill with their blasts, how big is this one?

[Ga912]

It's tiny but it could still be young. It looks like candy stripe but could be tiger. It's striped. But it's in a tank with other crabs and shrimp. And it's really active.

[amphipod]

It's tiny but it could still be young. It looks like candy stripe but could be tiger. It's striped. But it's in a tank with other crabs and shrimp. And it's really active.

go ahead and buy him, if he gets too big you can always trade him off, or isolate him.

[Ga912]

Thanks for the help

[Ga912]

go ahead and buy him, if he gets too big you can always trade him off, or isolate him.

got him it's a small tiger pistol so awesome

[amphipod]

got him it's a small tiger pistol so awesome

I'm glad you like it, amazing how their snapping claw works, making a vacuum " bubble" under water.

[SchnauzerFace]

Be careful not to leave any frag plugs on the substrate. Your pistol will take it upon himself to move them wherever he sees fit. He'll also wreck havoc on your sand bed. But, pistols are pretty awesome guys, so you made a good purchase

[Ga912]

Be careful not to leave any frag plugs on the substrate. Your pistol will take it upon himself to move them wherever he sees fit. He'll also wreck havoc on your sand bed. But, pistols are pretty awesome guys, so you made a good purchase

I know, he already took one of my zoa frags into his den I'll leave it be because that's all he took

[Bill Nye]

When I had a small tank I really enjoyed sexy shrimp. If you get a maxi mini or rock flower anemone they will all live in it and wave their butts at each other. There is a chance they will pick at corals but if you keep them fed (which is easy in a small tank) they shouldn't cause any problems.

[ETCs_Lady]

Between my two tanks I have 4 Sexy Shrimp, two Red Candy Snapping Shrimp and 1 Tiger Shrimp. I love them all. What fun to watch them! The Sexies are all over my corals. They don't seem to bother them. For my snappers, I put broken up snail shells in there for them. They use the debri to build cool little shelters and bunkers. It is awesome.