Beginner Coral and Invertebrates

[c0b_]

Any recommendations for some hardy, beginner-friendly soft corals and invertebrates for my pico tank? I have a 5 gallon Marineland Portrait Tank with Ocean Direct Live Sand along with some Stax Rocks from Two Little Fishies, which are not live rocks.

 

[shwareefer]

As cool as pulsing xenia may seem, don't do it - they will take over your tank. Go with firework cloves instead - low maintenance, low light and flow requirements, good growth but not excessive, and I think they look awesome.

 

[encrustingacro]

Inverts: astraea (lithopoma) snails, trochus snails, nassarius snails, skunk cleaner shrimp

Corals: zoanthids, acan (micromussa) lords, candy canes (astraeosmilia/caulastrea)

 

[c0b_]

As cool as pulsing xenia may seem, don't do it - they will take over your tank. Go with firework cloves instead - low maintenance, low light and flow requirements, good growth but not excessive, and I think they look awesome.
View attachment 2753269

Thanks for the great info!

 

[c0b_]

Inverts: astraea (lithopoma) snails, trochus snails, nassarius snails, skunk cleaner shrimp

Corals: zoanthids, acan (micromussa) lords, candy canes (astraeosmilia/caulastrea)

Does the shrimp need a lot of sand bed space or can it dwell on rocks? Because of the way my tank is, the bottom is pretty small, and the aquascape takes up some of that as well.

 

[encrustingacro]

Does the shrimp need a lot of sand bed space or can it dwell on rocks? Because of the way my tank is, the bottom is pretty small, and the aquascape takes up some of that as well.

My cleaner shrimp usually stays on the rocks

 

[Hud]

Basically any soft coral is super easy and for inverts cleaner shrimp and hermits are great stay away from coral banded shrimp they are horrible