Small creatures to add to my reef for shenanigan factor

[Reeftanker3295]

I want to add some small creatures to my 90g reef to create a nice ecosystem and to give me some more animals to watch. Basically, I want to know what mini inverts I can add to my tank safely (COMPLETELY reef safe) without risking them being eaten by my fish. Heres what I got so far:
Porcelain crab (will it host my LTA?)
Anemone shrimp (I am worried about getting these because when I drop a ghost shrimp in the tank my female clown eats it in 1 very quick bite...)
Pom Pom crab (I love these!)
Some feather dusters
Staghorn hermit crab (another awesome little invert IMO)
Possibly a tube anemone for the large patch of open sand in my tank
Florida rock anemone or mini carpet anemones
Fromia starfish

What else can be added?

 

[itsaNYthing]

i love feather dusters.... also get a konch

 

[Lenny718]

How big is your tank? Sexy shrimp are always fun to watch!

 

[Reeftanker3295]

How big is your tank? Sexy shrimp are always fun to watch!

90g
Same deal as the anemone shrimp, will my black saddleback clown eat them?

 

[Lenny718]

90g
Same deal as the anemone shrimp, will my big black saddleback clown eat them?

Yea that might be a problem, if she eats ghost shrimp then the sexy shrimp may just be a more expensive meal. Do you have any cleaner shrimp or Fire/blood shrimp yet? There much larger than the sexy shrimp and both have tons of personality.

 

[PolandSpring]

i have a 90 gallon and feel the same way. i was thinking of adding some sexy shrimp, and some harlaquin shrimp some acro crabs, & pom pom crabs too

 

[Imbarrie]

I have a 75 with sexy shrimp and a mated pair of clown fish for over two years. No problems.


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[thesauce]

I think you covered most of your bases. The 'reef safe' factor certainly limits our options.

 

[Reeftanker3295]

I would LOVE harlequins but too hard to keep, I want to get some stuff that can just live off my system the way I run it now :tongue1:
I do have a skunk cleaner shrimp. I feel like my tank doesn't have enough life in it. I want people to look into it and see all sorts of stuff going on so I can sit in front of my tank watching for hours like I used to when I started this hobby :shhh:

 

[Imbarrie]

Algae blennies are always up to something.


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[TRUKINGNY]

i just got a anemone crab and its pretty cool i made sure i dropped him right in my RBTA and he's stayed there ever since...

 

[THEDLO]

Porcelain crab dont host anemones, anemone crabs do. i have the first and they pretty cool, im the only one who notices him tho. also keep in mind that pom pom crabs can sting coral with their er pom poms. i would do one more cleaner and a fire shrimp pair. also u can to the pistol pair (2 pistols or 1 goby and 1 pistol.....OR 2 pistols 1 goby lol)

 

[rookie07]

Porcelain crab dont host anemones, anemone crabs do

I thought these were the same thing, ie 2 names for 1 animal. Is that not true?

 

[THEDLO]

I thought these were the same thing, ie 2 names for 1 animal. Is that not true?

no, take note that when u google them those that host anemones are white with rust colored spots, and porcelain crabs are purple or blue and do not host anemones. they are of the same family tho, and their feeding habits are the same. its weird tho when they are young they are white looking then later on they develop there colors.

 

[bigyankfan]

I have a horseshoe crab and he is a hoot. The only down side is that he is not out all that much.

 

[jcolon2]

A nice urchin. I love my long spine.

 

[Reeftanker3295]

I can't deal with an urchin knocking over my corals again :tongue1:

 

[E.intheC]

Good ideas listed already. Harlequin shrimp are awesome. I had a pair for about a year but you have to buy star fish for them. It's expensive and kind of a pain.

In my 40 breeder, I plan on buying a few more smaller gobies like a neon and/or a zebra. A few carefully selected gobies would be a really neat addition, IMHO. Shrimp are neat as well.

 

[charliethetuna88]

I have 2 anenome crabs for over a year that never leave the bubble tip, also I have 2 sexy shrimp that hang out together right by the breeding pair of clowns I have I would have never thought they would surive,I have 5 cleaners which are very pretty but very annoying when I try feeding my corals,I have a few peppermint shrimp that u never see .2 serpant stars ,a few anenome shrimp that get lost,a coral bandit ,a bunch of elephant limpets ( black slugs had them for years and they spawn all the time , a tiger pistol with a yellow watchman that I never see but hear so I know he's alive .a buch of stomalle,turbo snails.hermits ( blueleg) and astreana stars .I did havea pair of harly shrimp which are awsome and eat astreana stars like there at a buffet .but I never bought food after the astreanea stars were all eaten

 

[cowfish]

I've added a bunch of inverts to my 75g reef - shrimp, crabs, etc. I've found that, with a few exceptions, you hardly ever see them. My emerald and strawberry crab typically hide and I see them maybe 1x month. My brittle star doesn't come out unless I feed him. My porcelin crab disappeared. The peppermint shrimp stay in their cave most of the time, but at least they can be observed. I have a pistol or mantis shrimp (hitchhiker) somewhere in the tank; I hear the clicking, but have never actually seen it. The cleaner shrimp is usually out in the open. Obviously the feather duster, sponge, clam and oyster stay where I put them (though the clam does go exploring every now and then).

Having said that, I'm still glad I added them to the tank. This way I never know what's going to pop up and greatly enjoy the few times they do come out in the open.

Be careful with the "tube anemones" as they have a very potent sting and will catch and kill any unwary fish.