I am looking for a critter with very specific needs.

Squatch XXL

Well-Known Member
My 40b is doing well. I still only have a single fish (hoovens wrasse). She sleeps at night, and so is useless for what I want.

Basically, I look at my tank a few times after the lights go out every night. I see LOTS of pods and snails.....I see them as potential food for something. The wrasse does kill and eat these things, but only for the first shift. Second & third shift are open for workers.

I am looking for a nocturnal critter. Preferably some sort of crab. I am open to fish ideas....but only if there is no alternative.

It must hunt and eat Amphipods and possibly stomatella snails. Reef safe is also imperative. It can't be eating/nipping/moving/killing any of my corals....It may need to hide from the wrasse or be large enough to defend itself.


Anyone have any experience with this sort of fantastic critter(s)?
 

fidojoe

Fish Addict
I used to have a massive brittle star, it was a reddish colored criss cross pattern. It was pretty cool to watch at night. I rarely saw more than the tip of a leg sticking out when feeding during the day, but at night he was out and about. I think he was more of a scavenger, as I know for a fact he ate the remnants of a couple fish that didn't make it before I could get them out. It was well over 15" tip to tip, and didn't mess with any live fish or corals. Just don't get a green brittle star, they hunt fish, and your sleeping wrasse is a sitting duck.
 

Paul B

Well-Known Member
Cusk eel. I had one for 18 years and never saw it or fed it. It was 6" long and very bright yellow. It was only seen at night if I looked with a flashlight. It must have lived on bristleworms or amphipods. I killed it by accident when I removed a rock and didn't know he was in there.
This is a lousy picture as they are bright yellow and eel like.
http://ipfactly.com/cusk-eel/
 
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