inverts

hungry_for_blood

I'm getting powerful lighting in may, thats when i'm getting coral. but can i get inverts now, i herd they need the same lighting as coral does. if i can what can i get, I have a lepard gobie and 3 yellow tail damsels. I would like to get some crabs or a brittle star. Thanks for the help.

dallops_of_polyps

you could get emerald mitharax* coral banded brittle may nip at corals idk but basiclly anything from cras to clams.

gymnothorax

Do not add any clams at this point! Crabs and brittle stars are fine, you can get any reef-safe nonphotosynthetic invert, (basically any crabs, shrimps, stars, etc.), that you wish as long as they are compatible with one another. They do not require upgraded lighting to survive. It would, however, be beneficial to supplement with iodide to help them in molting. There are also some nonphotosynthetic corals that would be optional, but i generally would not recommend them as the first corals added to your tank.

dallops_of_polyps

why no clams?

gymnothorax

Clams are filter feeders, but the are also very dependent on nurishment from the symbiotic zooxanthellae found in their tissue to survive. Keeping clams requires very intense lighting, preferably halides. The only exception would be a gigas or giant clam, tridacna gigas, which will survive under moderate lighting, but requires massive amounts of supplemental feeding and grows up to 48" in length.