electric blue hermits, starfish, horseshoe crabs

[uscreef]

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/m...gory_Code=Crabs

 

why don't ppl put those in their nanos... sure look pretty? and why not horseshoe crabs? they clean the sandbed right? and why not starfish? too much bioload w/ 1 fish in a nano, not reef safe, need more space to roam?

[uscreef]

oh yeah and flame angels... too big and they nip coral right?

[SLOreefer]

flame angel definately too big. electric blue hermits are good but are very large. starfish...some people have has success with small ones and many people do put them in. i think kryptonite has one(i could be wrong) adn horsheoe crabs are clumsy and more of a pain. they also get huige and need lots of space to roam. they would starvein a nano

[linty]

I thought horseshoe crabs grew fairly large and liked to stay around the waters edge, not deep in water?

 

Starfish are not sessile as they may seem.  They are hunters more than they are scavengers and they have a tendency to eat anything slower than they are.  

[MKramer]

While the predatory comment about starfish is generally true, there are several species of starfish that are more nano suitable.  The most common are the linkia stars, which can be found in blue, red, and orange shades.  These guys are grazers and I've never heard of one hurting a coral, snail, or hermit.  I have an orange one in my nano and really dig it.  It's amazing how much it actually moves around, and spends 90% of its time on the glass.

 

Echinaster species of starfish are also quite peaceful.

 

Fromia stars are acceptable in reef aquariums as well, but they are a little more likely to prey on clams and anemones than the other species.  However if you only keep fish, corals, and snails, they won't pose a problem.

 

Starfish generally are not very tolerable of other stars.  I wouldn't put more than one in a tank under 20 gal, unless they're small and their particular species is known to be tolerant.

 

Matthew

[devil]

what about Protoreaster nodosus?

are they nano possible?

 

(Edited by devil at 3:45 pm on June 5, 2002)

[Mr Spam]

Horseshoe crabs will devistate your sand bed fauna and grow way to big for you tank. These get over a foot long given time to grow.

 

That crab may be preditory. The 3 types of hermit crabs that are known to be reef safe are the scarlet, red leg and blue leg.

 

most starfish are preditory, several species are known and documented grazers, linkia laveagate and animals fromt he linkia genus, and animals form the fromia genus.

 

linkia's can grow fairly large for a small tank, and food for them may be limited.

[lunchbox]

the electric blue gets pretty big and has a tendency to eat coralline.  they are great at eating hair algae though.