which invert

[atteb66]

I am wanting to add a critter to my 2.8 gal pico tank. There are no fish in this tank but I do have rics, zoas, softcorals. So it has to be coral safe. I have a Nassarius snail that came as a freebe with my sand. So here is what I have to choose from.

Porcelain Crab (will they eat pellets and survive without anemone
Banded Coral Shrimp (stenopus hispidus)
Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus sp)
Arrowhead Crab (stenorhynchus seticornis)
Peppermint Shrimp (had a camel once and ate all corals)

[cczarnik]

Porcelain's are cool because they stand there and wave their nets to snag food. Those that I've had are reef safe and are prob my favorite inverts. They stay pretty small.

Banded coral shrimp are cool looking, and the ones that I've had tended to hang out in view. But they get pretty big, mine all got too big to live comfortably in a 2.8.

Pistols are reclusive, and the snapping can be annoying. I've had one, never saw him attack anything, but lots of snail shells around his lair.. dunno.

Arrowheads can get huge.

Peps are safe and interesting, but you may never see it if he has a good hiding place. Mine only come out at night, I've probably seen him 5x in the last year. Everytime I think they have died, I catch a glimpse of an eyeball down in the LR somewhere.

Of the list, I'd vote porcelain. they will scavenge meaty food, cyclopeeze, etc.

[Agu]

Sexy Shrimp

[atteb66]

Cannot get the sexies here at the moment, what would you choose as a second choice fromt he list??

So the Porcelain Crab will eat meaty foods?? Like baby brine?? Can they pick things up off the sand or does it have to be micro size??

[cczarnik]

They will filter the water for plankton and other suspended debris. But also will pick up any meaty foods that you feed the tank / scavenge the sandbed, etc.

[atteb66]

Are they all that neat white and maroon color??

I do like the look of them, I think they are so neat.

I have read that sexy shrimp are a hit and miss with some corals, and love feather dusters and that is what I also have but forgot to list. They are very dear in price here when the lfs does have them in. Cute though but i would like to try something else different.

Do you have a porcelain crab??

They have to be one of the prettier crabs in the hobby from the looks of pictures, i have never seen them though in real life.

Thanks for the info

[cczarnik]

I think there is a variety. The PC's that I've had have all been hitch hikers on aquacultured florida live rock. These are purpleish brown, with black spots. The color isn't that spectacular, what is cool is how they constantly filter the water all day. Wiki has a great article on them.

[Salamander]

I've had one porcelain crab. It never picked at any meaty food. Seemed it only ate what it filtered from the water. But that one is my only experience.

I'd go with the peppermint shrimp or maybe a really small, nano sized brittle or serpent star. The stars may grow large eventually but are easily caught and nearly any LFS would take them for trade when they get big. They hide a lot but can learn to come out when fed.

[Octoberfest]

Porcelains can come in a couple different colors. They can also get somewhat big, I have two right now (one purple and one green) that are almost three inches across from "elbow" to "elbow". They are not mean at all though, at least from what I've seen.

[atteb66]

My only issue with a peppermint is that they can sometimes pick at corals.

What about a skunk cleaner?? would this tank be to small for one??