Is this a good invert list?

[Dart27]

For my 75 gallon tank with 20 gallon sump (still setting it up), would this list of inverts be good (all from live aquaria)?

10 dwarf blue leg hermits
20 astraea turbo snails
5 nassarius snails
2 peppermint shrimp
short spine urchin
sea cucumber
2 snapping/pistol shrimp
serpent sea star
3 spiny star astraea

Ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0 and I will get a nitrate reading up soon. The one inhabitant is a domino damsel, who came with the tank and I need to get rid of. I have hair algae, which I'm guessing is due to having a newly cycled tank.

EDIT: I've read elsewhere that I shouldn't get the crabs...should I just get more astraea turbo snails or other snails? What should I get in place of the crabs?

[Crooke]

Look into cerith snails. Also, not to say anything about liveaquaria if that's where you'd prefer to order from, but reefcleaners.org would be another place to look.

[cheesebagger]

Don't know what else you plan on stocking, but in the past I had an urchin that ate all my feather dusters.

[Dart27]

Thanks for the tips guys. I don't know what else I plan on putting in for inverts, but not planning on ever doing any corals.

[rogermccray]

reefcleaners is pretty awesome...

Just as an FYI, I have heard that hermits will kill your snails to try out their shells.

[Reefing Newbie]

A sea cucumber is a great cleaner but they can release toxins into the water if they aren't happy. Your sand bed also may end up where ever the cucumber decides to set up shop. I personally like nerite snails for algae control. They do a very good job with the glass in my opinion...

[Dart27]

Wow I checked out reefcleaners! Thanks for telling me about them--they look awesome!

I don't have a tremendous amount of sand...maybe I will skip the cuke (although he looks so cute!). I also like nerite snails...maybe I will take out the cuke and add in nerite snails.

[fishboii]

+1 on reefcleaners
I order 70 cerith snails for like 20 bucks, shipping included
they gave me probably around over 200, not exaggerating i have pics
And im surprised almost all of em are living.

[IMG]http://i56.*******.com/2u7ndk8.jpg[/IMG]

They also sat in the mailbox for about 2 days..

[Playerdrm]

+1 to reefcleaners and i dont trust hermits no longer use any crabs in my tanks

[Dart27]

Thanks guys!! I'm so glad I heard about reefcleaners!!

[J2T]

+1 to reefcleaners as well. Great prices and really great customer service. Send a question and get it answered very quickly. I have about 10 hermits and a ruby mithrax that I got through reefcleaners and have had no issues so far so YMMV with crabs.

Something to keep in mind, peppermints could be at risk with the pistols depending on their size. I lost my smaller peppermint about a day after I added my tiger pistol.

[Dart27]

So which is better, the peppermint or the pistol? I will just get one or the other. Right now the only problem I've had is hair algae and some growth of fluffy stuff on my rocks.

[Bunnylicked]

If you want pistol shrimp, I've heard that candy cane pistols are more peaceful than other pistols. I think they also only grow to about 1".

Personally, I really like my hermit crabs. They dig through the sand bed and eat big pieces of detritus that the snails won't touch. It's also fun to watch them run around on the sand at night. If you decide to get hermits, get scarlet or red-legged hermits; they don't pick on snails as much as other hermits.

Why are you not planning on having corals?

[J2T]

Well, I love them both. I think as long as the peppermints are a decent size they should be ok, but I would choose the pistol over the peppermint if I had to choose. I plan on going with a pair of skunk cleaners eventually anyhow.

[Toddrtrex]

I personally think that peppermint shrimps are a PITA -- IME they tend to pick at corals.
Think that pistol shrimps are pretty cool to have, if they are paired with a goby, nice relationship to watch.

[Dart27]

I guess I'm just not that taken away by corals. I don't know anything about them, and I feel that adding them to my already confused state of mind about saltwater will not be good. I do have a light that would work for them I think, but it's only a 36" size, and my tank is 48" long. It's the Nova Extreme Pro 6 bulb light. Do corals take up a lot of time as well? I'm SO busy and have a ton of other aquariums (freshwater) to keep up that I just doubt I could keep up with it all. Plus, I think the wrasses I want are probably not reef compatible. I'd just rather have the fish than the corals I guess.

Maybe I should skip the shrimp altogether and just get a few hermit crabs and lots of snails????

[J2T]

Honestly I would get some shrimp...whether peppermints or others as my inverts really are some of my more enjoyable creatures to watch so I think you should get some shrimp, corals or not. As Toddrtrex stated the pistol/goby pair is a really cool one and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Dart27]

Thanks! I could see myself doing corals in the far future, but not anytime soon.

If it's any help, this is the stocking list I am planning on:

Flame Angel
Vrolik's Wrasse
Royal Gramma
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Orange Spotted Goby
Yellow Prawn Goby

So I could do pistol shrimp with those gobies?

[J2T]

Yes, I think both could potentially pair up with a pistol.

[Dart27]

So how many pistol shrimp? Or just one?

[J2T]

Well, you might get a mixed answer. I have one pair and would like to get a second but I don't think its a guarantee it will work and there won't be fighting...unless you have a mated pair of pistols I think. But I'm no expert so someone else might have a better answer.

[Dart27]

Any other ideas for shrimp numbers? I doubt I can order a pair, so should I just go with one?

[Toddrtrex]

IMO/E, the shrimps are out more when there is more than one.