Purple Reef Lobster Experience

[ari5736]

Anyone have or had one. Beautiful lobster, but I am worried about clams and starfish in display (maybe even smaller fish). I have a 125g.

 

[Hitsnorth]

I had one.. When they are small they don't cause too many problems. But they get big really fast and everything is fair game. They can trap fish easily and will knock things over. Mine ripped apart starfish (never bothered any clams though) and definately killed fish when he caught them.

 

[reefnewbe]

I had one for about a year in a reef tank, then finally had to get rid of him.

there great as juveniles:biggrin: but adults are menaces.:grumpy:

 

[ellebelle]

Personally, it is my rule that I never put anything in my tank that I will eventually have to trap out (fish that are too big, fish that are prone to nipping corals, destructive invert, etc.) Mostly because putting them in is easy, and while they are pretty to look at for a little while, the cost of getting them out far outweighs the benefit of the time they are there. IMO.

 

[ari5736]

Hits, Newbe, how big are your tanks?

 

[masterswimmer]

Personally, it is my rule that I never put anything in my tank that I will eventually have to trap out (fish that are too big, fish that are prone to nipping corals, destructive invert, etc.) Mostly because putting them in is easy, and while they are pretty to look at for a little while, the cost of getting them out far outweighs the benefit of the time they are there. IMO.

Very well said. I subscribe to the same philosophy.

swimmer

 

[reefnewbe]

at the time i had the lobster,
it was in a 90 gal with leathers,shrooms and live rock.

 

[bigbris1]

I have one in my tank now, had him for about a year & a half. I bought him about 1" & now he's about 4". He's great as long as he has his cave to hide in, & you feed him properly, he won't bother anything else. Problem is, you won't see him until feeding time, he'll snatch the food & retreat back into his cave.

I have him in a 40L with a purple firefish, red firefish, sixline wrasse, regal tang. I also have about 3 different types of starfish & 40 different types of coral he doesn't bother. Feeding him well is key.

 

[juiceguy]

I had one for 3 1/2 years, it was about 5 inches. It never bothered any corals or clams but i had unexplained small fish disappearances.