inverts o' inverts

[grand reef1]

I was just wondering If these invertibrates are easy or not easy to keep

Serpent star/sea star (easy/Hard)
Special recomendations:


Lobster (Easy/Hard)
special recomendations:


Clams(Easy/Hard)
Special recomendatons:



Feather dusters (easy/Hard)
Special recomendations:



Sea urchins (easy/Hard)
Special recommendations:



Octopus/ cuttlefish (easy/Hard)
Special recomendations:



Jellyfish(easy/Hard)
Special recomendations:

[Elysia]

Things usually aren't as simple as "easy/difficult," but I will try to give you a general sense of each of the below.

Serpent star/sea star (easy/difficult)
Special recomendations:
I would not say that sea stars are easy. If you wanted such an animal, the best thing to do would be to get a serpent or brittle star from the Caribbean (if you are living in the US.) These stars can suffer from being shipped, so the shorter the shipping distance, the better. And in general, serpent/brittle stars are omnivores that are quite willing to take aquarium food. Just note that the literature sites the green brittle star, Opiarachna incrassata, as a fish eater. It is unlikely that serpent/brittles other than the green brittle will behave in such a way (but not unheard of.) It is best to purchase an solid, intact animal, perhaps on the small side, and to house it in a tank w/out nipping fish and in a tank w/ live rock for it to retreat under.

Lobster (easy/difficult)
Special recomendations:
This is one where I believe it depends on which animal you are considering. I do not have any experience w/ the spiny blue lobster, however I do know that they can grow quite large and would limit the other types of animals that you would house with it. While I have not owned a reef lobster, I am aware of two at a LFS that have thrived w/out a lot of fuss. Again, they may impact your choice of CUC. By the way, they often hide under the live rock in the tank.

Clams (easy/difficult)
Special recomendatons:
It is not really that clams are difficult to keep, but one must find a good healthy clam to begin with, have the correct lighting for it, situate it in the correct location in the tank, and keep an eye out for hitchhiking parasites... all things that are not necessary for some of the other invertebrates that you have listed. A clam is usually a bit of an investment and can live a long time. It isn't the first invertebrate you want to run out an buy for your tank.

Feather dusters (easy/difficult)
Special recomendations:
I am not one to judge feather dusters. Some people seem to have no problem with them. I have owned two, each in different systems and each has died relatively quickly on me. Until I can figure out what I was doing wrong that caused their demise, I will not own another.

Sea urchins (easy/difficult)
Special recommendations:
In general, I think sea urchins are easy to keep. They do not play by your rules, however. Almost every last species is oportunitistic and will eat what it wants, which is not necessarily what you purchased it hoping it would consume. They also can knock over your rock work, injuring itself and other aquarium creatures. On the other hand, you are likely to see them from time to time.

Octopus/ cuttlefish (easy/difficult)
Special recomendations:
While incredible animals, most small octopus and cuttlefish do not live very long. They require a tank all to themselves that has been modified for their use. Octopus are known to escape from the smallest of holes. Both are predators that need a decent amount of food yet very clean and well oxygenated water.

Jellyfish (easy/difficult)
Special recomendations:
All jellyfish would require a tank dedicated to their keeping. For most species, this would be something more sophisticated than simply a modified standard aquarium. The "upside down" jellies that are sometimes seen in the trade can get rather large (like 12" in diameter) and would still need a habitat modified for their keeping.

[geffhardy2]

Serpent star/sea star: i have had both and both seem pretty hardy. Most serpent stars are good but i would stay away from the green serpent star. I have had about 5 different kinds of star fish but chocolate chip star fish seem to be the hardyest but will eat coral.

Lobster : reef lobster very hardy but can have a nasty attitude

Feather dusters: feather duster are cool as long as you add a phytoplankton diet( food for filter feeders)

Sea urchins: i had had about 4 different kinds. I have had a pencil urchin that was the only one to make it though a tank crash.
If you have alot of rock i would not reccomend the long spined urchin because their spineS break off and can corner a tank mate by mistake with no way out