Cool Inverts for 3G

[tprize]

Looking for a cool invert to live in my 3g Nano. Can you put any kinds of urchin in there. Or am I better off with a plain old shrimp.

[Mojo Jojo]

Get some Sexy Shrimp!

[Razzagas]

maybe a pom pom (boxer) crab?

[Rosseau]

I have a black spiny urchin in my 10G right now. It's actually cool to watch, but a total pain in my ***.

I'm trying to get rid of it. It's a pain because it knocks absolutely everything over. It will drag frags across the tank, seemingly to make me angry.


But if you have everything tied down pretty well and aren't planning on having many corals I think they're cool.

They clean the sand too if you care.

[kathainbowen]

Totally agree with the pom pom (boxer) crab. They are SUPER cute, with those little pom poms. We had one at the LFS I worked at, and, when I scrubbed down his modified critter cage, the little guy would shy back under a bit of liverock. But, if my hand or scrub pad got too close, he'd wave his pom poms frantically. So, freakin' adorable! Especially when they use their anemones to grab food! They are also very pretty with pink, white, and purple-black markings.

Pin cushion style urchins (like the black tuxedo urchin) or pencil urchins are pretty neat, and don't get as large at the long-spined urchins. However, any of the pin-cushion style of urchins (like the black tuxedo or the hairy pincushion urchin) will pick up rocks, debris, macroalgaes, etc. to camoflage themselves. This can be fun, or utterly annoying. My friend used to love sticking little clumps of caulerpa on hers to make them look like they had little green wigs. I had one at work grab a tuft of Xenia (and, strangely, the Xenia survived and grew!). If you have small frags, they may grab them and pick them up (*you'd be surprised at what a persistent little guy a pincushion can be when they want to carry something).

I like a nicely colored emerald (mithrax) crab. Once adjusted to a tank, they are not too terribly shy compared to some other crabs. However, they can be a bit dodgey from time to time if you plan to keep corals. You can sometimes find specimens that seem to derive great joy in plucking up all of your polyps.

As per shrimp are concerned, there are a few different options. Coral banded shrimp, fire cleaner shrimp, and skunk cleaner shrimp are all gorgeous animals, with bright, crisp coloring. The sexy shrimp has fascinating behavioral patterns (c'mon, who here can deny the fact that a shrimp that sticks its butt in the air and wiggles it ISN'T a cool conversation thing?). The pistol shrimp makes neat clacking noises, digs burrow-holes, and can come in some cool colors, but can be a bit reclusive. Shrimp can vary, so comtemplate what would be best for your situation (such as, if this tank is in your bedroom- avoid pistol shrimp)

G'luck! As we all know, 3G and smaller picos have a special place in my mind. Hopefully, you will have as much fun, if not more fun, that I have had with mine.

[Chaloupa]

I have a boxer crab/Pom Pom crab in my 2.5...rarely see him unless I am feeding...very very shy, but when he comes out he is beautiful. My pistol shrimp in my 14g is PITA...digs up everything and is constantly re-aquascaping for me.....but he's fun, never a dull moment of stable sand bed!
I like the Sexy shrimp...they provide color and entertainment and are so small that it really is neat to have a couple in the tank...
I also have a blue tuxedo urchin in the tank...interesting and a shot of color...but as said make sure you have everything glued down! He carries around Kenya tree frags, zoos, macro algaes but it's neat!

[Henry22]

A group of 3 sexy shrimp, pom pom crab, porcelain crab(they dont get very big, also called anenome porcelian crab) pistol shrimp, although I would get one w/o a watchmen or shrimp goby.