FOWLR invert stocking

[zhivaham]

I have a 20g with 15 lbs of live rock and aragonite sand currently cycling.  When it’s done, I’d like to add some easy invertebrates before acquiring my fish.  What is the general consensus regarding inverts for FOWLR tanks? Ideally, I’d like to keep 2-3 types of small snails and perhaps peppermint shrimp (no hermits because I don’t want my snails getting killed).  Do these species do well with supplemental feeding?  I’m assuming that, especially with a new tank, there will be a shortage of algae initially.  I want to keep these snails because I enjoy watching them, so giving them seaweed/algae wafers/etc regularly will not be a problem as long as they are able to thrive as my freshwater nerites do. What is the general stocking guideline for inverts and which ones can be ‘fed’?  Thanks!

[Subsea]

Mobile scavengers include Brittle & Serpent Starfish as well as ornamental shrimps.  I would also recommend detrivores for substrate:  Cerith Snails and bristle works will produce larvae in the water column to feed live food (zooplankton) to filter feeders.

[BlennyBoi]

maybe an urchin. any will be ok in a FOWLR but i prefer tuxedo urchins, especially the red ones

[zhivaham]

Wow, I have more options than I thought!

 

As far as snails go, are any ok? I really like nerites, astraeas, and nassarius, and ideally would have a combination of those plus one or two other inverts.  Will feeding something like repashy super green for the nerites/astraeas and sinking wafers/frozen food for the nassarius be enough to sustain them?

 

Truth be told, I love hermit crabs, but I definitely don’t want my snails getting ripped out of their shells.  How likely is this to happen with, say, blue legs and scarlets, if they have empty shells available? I have been told to stay away from brittle stars because they eat snails too- is this true?  Which inverts WON’T kill my snails?

 

I have considered urchins but heard they get huge- will look into tuxedos.:)

[Tamberav]

Hermit crabs are super interesting and I love having a few to watch. I was thinking about adding a halloween hermit crab as they are larger and I think would only really want to kill Triton snails and not the ones you have listed. A single one of those might be worth a try. Keep in mind it will eat dead or dying/sick snails ofc... snails do seem to die without reason sometimes and a crab would certainly clean up for you. I would only try one though as I find my hermit crabs spend more time fighting each other than snails. 

 

Also porcelain crabs won't kill anything, they filter food. 

 

The micro brittle stars won't harm anything, asternia stars would be interesting to have on your FOWLR.

 

There are also sexy shrimp (though peppermint shrimp might bug them but they probably have no chance in catching them). Pom pom crab should be fine too, their nems don't need any special light and they will use them to catch food and for defense.

 

Just don't keep any fish that would eat such tiny inverts like certain wrasse. 

 

1 hour ago, zhivaham said:

Wow, I have more options than I thought!

 

As far as snails go, are any ok? I really like nerites, astraeas, and nassarius, and ideally would have a combination of those plus one or two other inverts.  Will feeding something like repashy super green for the nerites/astraeas and sinking wafers/frozen food for the nassarius be enough to sustain them?

 

Truth be told, I love hermit crabs, but I definitely don’t want my snails getting ripped out of their shells.  How likely is this to happen with, say, blue legs and scarlets, if they have empty shells available? I have been told to stay away from brittle stars because they eat snails too- is this true?  Which inverts WON’T kill my snails?

 

I have considered urchins but heard they get huge- will look into tuxedos.:)

 

[BlennyBoi]

1 hour ago, zhivaham said:

Wow, I have more options than I thought!

 

As far as snails go, are any ok? I really like nerites, astraeas, and nassarius, and ideally would have a combination of those plus one or two other inverts.  Will feeding something like repashy super green for the nerites/astraeas and sinking wafers/frozen food for the nassarius be enough to sustain them?

 

Truth be told, I love hermit crabs, but I definitely don’t want my snails getting ripped out of their shells.  How likely is this to happen with, say, blue legs and scarlets, if they have empty shells available? I have been told to stay away from brittle stars because they eat snails too- is this true?  Which inverts WON’T kill my snails?

 

I have considered urchins but heard they get huge- will look into tuxedos.:)

i would get smaller hermits, like the redlegs, bluelegs and yellowtips, and meduim to large trochus. the smaller hermits find it hard to bother trochus because of the size and shell shape. tuxedo urchins dont get too big, BTW