Seafan

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    Emergencies

    Species

    Clean-up crew and other reef invertebrates

    25 snails, hermit crabs, crabs, shrimp, urchins, sea cucumbers, starfish and nudibranchs. Numbers are given per litre where sources allow, because "one per gallon" never says which gallon.

    A clean-up crew should match the food the tank grows. Add in stages as algae appears; too many snails in a new tank starve.

    Group
    With corals
    Care level

    Showing 25 of 25 invertebrates

    Arrow crab

    Stenorhynchus seticornis

    Care
    Intermediate
    Group
    Crab
    Corals
    Reef safe with caution

    Photo NOAA, Public domain

    Asterina starfish

    Aquilonastra and related small asterinids

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Starfish
    Corals
    Reef safe with caution

    Photo Nicole Gravier-Bonnet, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Astraea (Astrea) snail

    Lithopoma tectum

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Snail (grazer)
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo Veronidae, CC BY-SA 3.0

    No licensed photo yet

    Berghia nudibranch

    Berghia stephanieae

    Care
    Intermediate
    Group
    Nudibranch
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Blue leg hermit crab

    Clibanarius tricolor

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Hermit crab
    Corals
    Reef safe with caution

    Photo RevolverOcelot, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Blue Linckia starfish

    Linckia laevigata

    Care
    Advanced
    Group
    Starfish
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo dr.scott.mills, CC BY-SA 2.0

    No licensed photo yet

    Camel shrimp

    Rhynchocinetes uritai

    Not for beginners

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Shrimp
    Corals
    Not reef safe

    Cerith snail

    Cerithium spp.

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Snail (grazer and sand)
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo Richard Parker, CC BY 2.0

    Emerald crab

    Mithraculus sculptus

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Crab
    Corals
    Reef safe with caution

    Photo Mark Loch, CC BY-SA 2.0

    Fighting conch

    Strombus alatus

    Care
    Intermediate
    Group
    Snail (sand)
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo Zammerman, CC BY 4.0

    Green brittle star

    Ophiarachna incrassata

    Care
    Intermediate
    Group
    Brittle star
    Corals
    Reef safe with caution

    Photo Neıl, CC BY-SA 3.0

    No licensed photo yet

    Harlequin shrimp

    Hymenocera picta

    Not for beginners

    Care
    Advanced
    Group
    Shrimp
    Corals
    Reef safe with caution
    No licensed photo yet

    Large hermits

    Dardanus, Aniculus, Trizopagurus spp.

    Not for beginners

    Care
    Intermediate
    Group
    Hermit crab
    Corals
    Not reef safe

    Nassarius snail

    Nassarius spp.

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Snail (scavenger, sand)
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Nerite snail

    Nerita spp.

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Snail (grazer)
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo Hans Hillewaert (Lycaon), CC BY-SA 2.5

    Peppermint shrimp

    Lysmata wurdemanni (look-alike L. rathbunae and others)

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Shrimp
    Corals
    Reef safe with caution

    Photo Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0

    Sand sifting starfish

    Astropecten polyacanthus

    Not for beginners

    Care
    Advanced
    Group
    Starfish
    Corals
    Reef safe with caution

    Photo Nick Hobgood, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Scarlet reef hermit

    Paguristes cadenati

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Hermit crab
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo Andreas März, CC BY 2.0

    Sea apple

    Pseudocolochirus spp.

    Not for beginners

    Care
    Advanced
    Group
    Sea cucumber
    Corals
    Not reef safe

    Photo Marrabbio2, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Skunk cleaner shrimp

    Lysmata amboinensis

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Shrimp
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo Хомелка, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Tiger tail sea cucumber

    Holothuria hilla

    Care
    Intermediate
    Group
    Sea cucumber
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo François Michonneau, CC BY 3.0

    Trochus snail

    Trochus spp.; Tectus spp.

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Snail (grazer)
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0

    Turbo snail

    Turbo spp. (PFK names T. fluctuosa)

    Care
    Beginner
    Group
    Snail (grazer)
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo Frédéric Ducarme, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Tuxedo urchin

    Mespilia globulus

    Care
    Intermediate
    Group
    Urchin
    Corals
    Reef safe

    Photo Ishtaure Dawn, CC BY-SA 2.0

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