Saltwater Newbie, Want An Invert Tank..., Opinions on choices?

[eschaton]

Hey all

I've been doing planted freshwater for awhile now, and I am considering a move to saltwater. Ideally I'd like a small to medium, beginner's reef tank. Saltwater fish don't interest me much aside from Gobies and Blennies, so I doubt I'd put in more than one or two, plus maybe a small top-swimming fish.

I've come up with the following ideas, based upon initial research which seem to be good beginner critters.

Corals and the like:
Knobby Sea Rods
Finger Leather
Xenia
Zooanthids
Green Sea Mats
Mushroom Corals
Brush Coral
Bird's Nest Coral

Crustaceans:
Cleaner Shrimp (Caribbean or Pacific)
Peppermint Shrimp
Sexy Shrimp
Hermits (heard most actually eat small featherdusters and the like, but some are good in small numbers?)
Emerald Crab
Porcelain "Crab"

Mollusks:
Turbo Snail (non-Mexican)
Astraea Snail
Collonists/Mini Turbos
Trochus Snails
Tectus Snails
Nerite Snails
Money Cowries
Nassarius Snails
Bubble Shells

Others:
Yellow Cucumber

I'm hoping my tank ends up with a supply of 'pods, forams, calcerous sponges, peanut worms, fireworms, feather-dusters, and chitons, but from what I understand they're the luck of the draw from live rock/live sand.

If there's anything I should add or take off let me know. Obviously I'm not going to get every single genus of snail.

My preference is toward a stable tank which requires minimal feeding, with a bias towards species which may reproduce in the tank.

[jer77]

I'd stay away from the birdsnest coral cause its an sps and not for beginners. Also I'd stay away from the large hermit crabs too. Get ones that are called scarlet hermit crabs.

[bertoni]

To Reef Central

I avoid hermit crabs and true crabs (like the emerald crabs) because they are predatory, but a hermit or two probably won't do too much damage.

Many of the sea rods are harder to grow, so I'd suggest sticking to species with photosynthetic symbionts. By sea mat, do you mean a zoanthid rock?

I don't know what bubble shells are, nor do I know whether the money cowrie is an algal grazer or not. This article (and the others in the series) might be useful:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rs/index.php

[eschaton]

Originally posted by jer77
I'd stay away from the birdsnest coral cause its an sps and not for beginners. Also I'd stay away from the large hermit crabs too. Get ones that are called scarlet hermit crabs.

Thanks for the info.

I'm aware of Scarlet/Red Legs/Blue Legs, but I've heard some people say they decimate sessile life other than corals (sponges, tube worms, etc) and others say they're good.

By a weird coincidence, I'm also from Pittsburgh. I use All Oddballs for Freshwater stuff, but where is good for Saltwater stuff around here? And where can I get cultivated frags and not have to buy?

[eschaton]

Originally posted by bertoni

To Reef Central

I avoid hermit crabs and true crabs (like the emerald crabs) because they are predatory, but a hermit or two probably won't do too much damage.

Many of the sea rods are harder to grow, so I'd suggest sticking to species with photosynthetic symbionts. By sea mat, do you mean a zoanthid rock?

I don't know what bubble shells are, nor do I know whether the money cowrie is an algal grazer or not. This article (and the others in the series) might be useful:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-07/rs/index.php

I'm basing my choices on the "Pocket Expert - Marine Invertebrates" book I have bought. Though looking back, while Knobby Sea Rods are photosynthetic, they require a 100+ gallon tank.

Sea mat is listed as Zoanthus Puchellus/sociatus. It's listed as being similar to other Zoanthids.

Here's a bubble shell species



They're apparently distantly related to Sea Hares/Sea Bunnies, but better for reef tanks as they're more versatile herbivores.

[bertoni]

I think that book is a good reference, so you're probably okay.

There are a number of good gorgonians for smaller tanks. This book is very useful:

[ericsbook]

I have a purple blade gorgonian (probably Pterogorgia) that is doing well, for example.