Beginner Saltwater Invertebrates

Choosing The Right Saltwater Invertebrates

Most people own saltwater aquariums to keep exotic fish but having the right saltwater invertebrates can not only enhance the visual appeal of your saltwater aquarium but they can do important housekeeping functions.

Cleaner Shrimp

This is an easy saltwater inveterate to keep and maintain in your saltwater aquarium. The skunk cleaner shrimp is a great choice. They’re white with a red stripe down their back and they’re inexpensive to buy and maintain.

They feed by scavenging your aquarium floor for uneaten food and fish waste. Since uneaten food particles and waste decay and convert to ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, cleaner shrimp can do wonders in reducing these toxins.

They also feed on parasites that can grow on your fish. It’s great to see your fish stop by and have your cleaner shrimp service your fish, eating any parasites it finds.

If you’re carefully monitoring your food intake and your fish are eating most of the food you give, make sure you add a little more so your shrimp has something to feed on.

If you keep your cleaner shrimp population small, around 3-4, they tend to be more social and active.

A special note, shrimp need iodine in the water to properly molt. If you feed your tank frozen or live food, they usually have enough iodine for your shrimp. If not, you may need to add a few drops of iodine to your tank.

Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs feed in the same way as your cleaner shrimp. They feed off of uneaten food particles and fish waste on your saltwater aquarium floor. But they also feed on algae. They can be actually better housekeepers than your cleaner shrimp.

Two hermit crab species that are great for beginners and play nicely with others are blue-legged hermit crab and scarlet hermit crab. They each grow about 1-2 inches.

If you bought them as juveniles, they’re going to grow and they’ll need larger shells. When the time comes, you should provide them larger shells for them.

Sea Urchins And Starfishes

If you’ve owned your saltwater aquarium for a few months, you should have enough experience to care for these animals. Most make great additions to your saltwater aquarium, eating uneaten food particles, fish waste, and algae.

And unlike cleaner shrimps or hermit crabs, they can climb and eat algae that form on your saltwater aquarium walls.

Just be careful. Some sea urchins are poisonous.

Snails

Any snail that feeds on algae are great for beginners. Like sea urchins and starfishes, they can climb your saltwater aquarium walls, clean algae that form there.

Because they maintain their shells, they do need a high calcium content in your saltwater aquarium.

Maintenance

Invertebrates are highly sensitive to copper. Never use anything copper in your tank. In fact, if you’ve ever used copper in your tank previously, most experts claim you can never remove enough copper for your saltwater aquarium system to keep invertebrates happy.

Invertebrates are highly sensitive to bad water conditions. If your saltwater aquarium ecosystem is off balance (pH is off, calcium content is low, too much nitrate, etc.), your invertebrates will be the first to suffer and die.

Keeping a clean saltwater aquarium environment is a priority if you want to keep your invertebrates happy.