The choice of invertebrates could mean the difference between success and failure when setting up a marine tank. In short, it is about choosing invertebrates that are suited to your tank size, water conditions, and other tank inhabitants, and buying marine invertebrates for sale only from a supplier who quarantines their stock appropriately.

Invertebrates like snails, hermit crabs, shrimp, and starfish perform various functions such as keeping the tank clean of algae and breaking down uneaten food. The advantage of buying invertebrates from an established supplier who handpicks their livestock is that you minimise any surprises such as hitchhiking pests.

Why Are Invertebrates Important in a Marine Tank?

Invertebrates act as the hidden workforce of a reef environment. Invertebrates help to keep the tank clean by grazing algae, sifting through the substrate, and removing any uneaten food. Without these creatures, the tank becomes dirty faster, thus making it harder for you to filter out the waste.

Additionally, most invertebrates make excellent decorations for the tank. The cleaner shrimps, the brightly colored hermit crabs, and the sand-sifting sea stars make excellent additions to your reef environment.

Things to Look For Before You Buy

Before purchasing any new addition to your aquarium, you should look for a few things. Invertebrates generally require a mature aquarium that tests properly for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates because they are generally more susceptible to water conditions than fish.

It is also wise to find out the compatibility of the new invertebrates with your existing ones. Some crabs and snails can live peacefully along with your corals and fish, while some are known to attack the soft corals and are aggressive about their food.

Which Invertebrates Are Ideal for a Beginner Tank?

• Turbo Snails: Effective algae eaters that will do great in almost any aquarium.

• Hermit Crabs: Dynamic scavengers that remove uneaten food and debris.

• Nassarius Snails: Burrowing snails that help to oxygenate the substrate.

• Astrea and Cerith Snails: Non-aggressive, undemanding algae eaters.

• Cleaner Shrimp: Beneficial for parasite removal from fish and adding colour to your tank.

All of these organisms can be purchased as part of a “cleanup crew,” which makes setting up a new tank easy.

How Can You Tell If an Invertebrate Is Not Going to Hurt Your Corals?

Not all invertebrates will do well with coral tanks. Actually, you should look for reef-safe invertebrates, which means those invertebrates that are not going to damage, sting, or eat your corals. For instance, some crabs have been known to feed on coral polyps when they are hungry. So, finding out about a certain invertebrate before you purchase is very important.

A good reef aquarium should be able to maintain a low-risk and reliable clean-up crew. It would be wise to buy from a reputable retailer who is able to provide you with information about their stock and even quarantined livestock.

Where To Find Good Quality Invertebrates?

Getting the invertebrates from a good source counts just as much as selecting good species. Livestock that has not been handled correctly, is overstocked, or is not quarantined at all will be more prone to stress or parasites like flatworms and aiptasia.

Find the sellers who regularly get new hand-picked livestock and have a proper quarantine system before selling anything to a client. Buying from an experienced specialist store increases the chance of healthy livestock and support in case of problems.

How Should You Acclimatise New Invertebrates?

One of the major reasons behind the loss of invertebrates post-purchase is sudden exposure to different temperatures and salinity levels. A gradual drip acclimation process between 30 and 60 minutes can help the invertebrates, especially shrimps and sea stars, adjust themselves to their new surroundings.

Turning off the lights during the introduction of new invertebrates into the aquarium would be another wise move, especially when the invertebrates include snails and crabs, who may feel stressed out during this process. The feeding process must be stopped for about a day or two.

How Many Invertebrates Does Your Aquarium Really Need?

Overpopulation is a very frequent error made by aquarists.

Instead of putting too many invertebrates into your aquarium from the start, it is better to begin with a smaller number of invertebrates and then monitor how fast algae appear.

Creating the Perfect Balance in Your Reef

Selecting the perfect combination of invertebrates is not a difficult process once you know the requirements of your tank, but it will certainly take some research and a trusted supplier. A perfectly selected and tank-matched clean-up crew will ensure that your marine aquarium remains healthy and easy to manage in the long run.

Since 2016, Marine World Aquatics has been carefully selecting and quarantining marine livestock at its Bradford showroom and delivering fresh shipments weekly. Whether you are looking for a clean-up crew or some particular species to complement your existing reef, the availability of a wide variety of marine invertebrates for sale will certainly help you get started.

FAQs

Q. Can hermit crabs and snails be kept in the same aquarium?

Yes, as both of them usually get along with each other because they have their niches; snails graze from the surface while crabs scavenge in the substrate. However, pay attention to the number of hermit crabs, which may sometimes attack empty shells of snails while looking for a new dwelling.

Q. Why are my new snails constantly dying right after the introduction to my tank?

Most likely, this is due to either a bad acclimation process or immaturity of the tank, not having its cycle completed yet. Snails are very sensitive to abrupt changes in salinity and temperature; thus, proper acclimation and water parameters test beforehand will help avoid this issue.

Q. Do cleaner shrimp require a certain kind of fish to be alive?

No, although cleaner shrimp will do better if there are some fish species among which they could be cleaning. Anyway, they would eat food leftovers and debris, thus being quite useful in any community reef tank.

Q. For how many days should I isolate new invertebrates before putting them in my aquarium?

It is advised that the isolation period be between one and two weeks, especially in cases where crabs or shrimp have been purchased, since they tend to get sick much more easily than snails. It allows for observation of behaviour and prevention of problems in your tank.

Q. Will invertebrates eat my corals if I don't feed them enough?

There are some species that become opportunists when food becomes scarce, and there are certain species of crabs. Therefore, it is better to know the diet of each specific species.