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Reef Lobsters?? This can't be good.

blange3

blange3

They look cool, reasonably priced, but they got to be a problem! 8)

Can't find too much on them other than they must be opportunistic omnivores and have the potential to eat anything.

Anyone have practical experience with them? I would like to get some sort of cool invert with a bit of a wow factor. Non-reefers aren't always impressed with the corals. ::)
 
SirFragalot

SirFragalot

One of the LFS's around me had a purple reef lobster that was about 3 and a half inches. Beautiful colors on it with reds, yellows, blues and purples. The only thing that the guy could tell me about it is that I would almost never see it because it does nothing but hide.
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
We got some REALLY cool shrimp. Hawaiian and another type. They're really neat.

We had a purple reef lobster. He didn't survive long enough to become a problem, but in time I'm sure he would have. He never knocked anything over, but we never saw it.
 
blange3

blange3

debfife said:
I have no clue about them but always wanted one.
I wonder if they end up knocking stuff over
Click to expand...

That was one thing I was worried about, Deb. I'm also worried about the lobster eating corals and my clam.

I heard that they hide as well SirFrag, but if they come out at feeding time and some random occasions, that would give me something to look forward to.

And as I was typing Phyl confirms the hiding thing! I have a cleaner and a blood shrimp already Phyl, but other shrimps are an option. I tried a blue linkia starfish, but he disappeared in less than 2 weeks.
 
JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

I assume the basket starfish was a joke because they are really hard to keep.

Was reading in one of the more recent TFH on inverts and the guy really liked the lobsters :-\, calling them safer then a lot of others.

I can try later to get the article for you or bring it to you Saturday/before.
 
M

mnat

Officer Emeritus
Staff member
Moderator
Lobsters are a predator in nature and they can do the same thing in your tank. If you keep them well fed chances are they will not go after anything else, but they can. Other inverts and smaller bottow dwelling fish can become food to them. I have heard they like to rearrange your aqua scaping to their liking if there are not enough crevices for them to hide. The purple seems to be the reef favorite as it doesn't get very big (5-6inches).
 
onefish2fish

onefish2fish

whats wrong with a pistol shrimp and goby? id hate to see your tank terrorized due to a lobster. i think the two shrimp would get ripped in half by one, and im sure other things.
 
S

Scottyrock

those purple lobsters really wont bother your fish, especially if you target feed him a silverside or something once or twice a week. they are cool lookin and hide alot
 
W

Whitebird1

I had a purple lobster when I first started a reef. Its main job in life seemed to be to knock over anything it could on a nightly basis. Had to give it back to the LFS.
 
D

Dave

On a positive note, you could make it legendary..like lochness.."I swear...on a foggy day...under the light of the full moon...I saw my reef lobster" ;D
 
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