New Invert Choice?

[Thisseemsfishy]

In my 55g reef, I currently have the normal hermit crabs and a coral banded shrimp. I was curious about adding a sand sifting sea star and maybe a conch or two? I would also like to add another shrimp but im not sure that the coral banded will play nice with other...any thoughts?

Thanks

[mscarpena]

No to the star just destined to die. Conchs are nice, but normally do not live very long. I have had one for a year now and I am very excited about it. Very cool little critter. I personally Do not think shrimp or crabs are good reef inhabitants. Mine always cause issue with eating my corals. I love my coco worm.

[gohstwrighter]

mine did ok with my purple reef lobster but the lobster neads to be smaller and evan thin its a gambel the coral banded usely eats smaller inverts but the lobster is a better preditor my coral banded has lost a few clawes over the years to the lobster evan now that thay are in a 125g tankthay still have ther runins.
if it starts causing trouble feed it to a mantis

[mscarpena]

Lobsters are not good reef additions. They eat small fish.

[Thisseemsfishy]

What about another shrimp? Suggestions or warnings?

[jokim]

yeah i have a conch and it looks cool and keeps the sand clean. what kind of shrimp? cleaner type? coral branded shrimps are usually fine unless its their own kind

[tunicateperson]

You should probably add a linckia seastar insted of the Sand shifting! Sand siftings are hard to feed.

[meatball87]

I wouldn't add a linkia they are probably just as hard if not harder to keep alive than sand sifters

[jimmy frag]

i have/keep sand sifters and formicas but have never had any luck with lincas. always melt away in my tanks within a few days. im thinking it must have alot to do with acclimating ?

[tunicateperson]

Linckia seastars do grow big, and you need a lot of live rock to keep them, so maybe you should add an brittle star. Brittle stars are realitivly easy to care for and don't get as big as linckias (with an exeption of "the green death" witch grows to 20 inches and it eats everything.

[Thisseemsfishy]

Thanks for all the advice. Im not sure really what I want to go with. Im goin pretty coral heavy, a sea star may not be the best option. So a coral banded shrimp can go with most other shrimp? I guess im really interested in a cleaner or perppermint shrimp.

[treylane]

Linckia multiflora stay small (they max out at ~4" tip to tip) and they live and grow long-term in reef tanks.
Sexy shrimps are hardy and interesting as well if you don't have fish likely to eat them.
Orange serpent stars and black brittle stars get larger, but also seem to be model reef citizens with only a little bit of special care.