Bottom feeders

[frankieboy]

Hi guys is it true that shrimp and crabs should be avoided in a reef tank ?

Also they eat and pickaway at the reef, also puffer fish sting and eats coral.

Cause after a setup a fowlr for little, plan a mixed reef, any comments advice suggestion on bottom feeders.

Sent from my PG86100 using Reefs

 

[fishman1069]

Most shrimp are reef safe. Crabs will eat just about anything if they are hungry enough, including corals. Puffers will eat shrimp and crabs.

 

[Awibrandy]

No puffers for you Frankie if you want to keep a reef. Puffer's will pick at corals. My old puffer in my fowlr chewed on my nems within seconds of it going in the tank while we rebuilt the 155. I have a pic that another reefer took, unfortunately I can't find it at the moment..
There are some crabs & shrimps you need to avoid.. Research will tell you which ones they are, but for starters the camel shrimp comes to mind.

 

[skene]

To get a good idea on what livestock is available on the current market check out liveaquaria.com.... they have information on every critter they carry whether it be reef safe or not.

This should give you a small insight on what you can put in and what is safe vs not. These same critters are also usually available at your local fish store.

 

[basiab]

In other words it has nothing to do with bottom feeders. You just have to know what mixes with what.