Guides

Invertebrates

23 articles · All guides

Shrimp Feeding Guide: Biofilm vs Pellets

Neocaridina and Caridina graze constantly on biofilm. Pellets are supplements — here’s how to balance natural grazing with prepared foods.

Invertebrates

Toadstool Leather Coral (Sarcophyton spp.)

Classic mushroom-shaped soft corals that pulse with polyps — hardy reef staples that periodically shed a waxy skin.

Invertebrates

Ricordea (Ricordea florida)

Bump-textured mushroom corals in electric colour morphs — lower-flow LPS softies that carpet rock shelves when happy.

Invertebrates

Open Brain Coral (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi)

A fleshy free-living LPS coral often placed on sand — dramatic folds of colour that inflate under stable reef chemistry.

Invertebrates

Frogspawn Coral (Euphyllia divisa)

Branching Euphyllia with grape-like tips that dance in flow — a showpiece LPS coral that needs space from neighbours.

Invertebrates

Malaysian Trumpet Snail (Melanoides tuberculata)

Cone-shelled substrate diggers that aerate sand beds and appear at night — useful recyclers that boom when tanks are overfed.

Invertebrates

Ramshorn Snail (Planorbella / Planorbarius spp.)

Disk-shaped snails in wild and brightly coloured forms — helpful scavengers that multiply when overfeeding leaves excess food.

Invertebrates

Vampire Crab (Geosesarma spp.)

Colourful semi-terrestrial crabs that need land shelves and shallow water — personality-packed invertebrates for secure paludariums.

Invertebrates

Crystal Red Shrimp (Caridina cantonensis)

Striking red-and-white Caridina shrimp for soft-water nano tanks — more parameter-sensitive than Neocaridina, breathtaking in mossy aquascapes.

Invertebrates

Blue Leg Hermit Crab (Clibanarius tricolor)

A small, industrious reef hermit that grazes film algae and scraps — best kept with spare shells and not overcrowded on delicate sandbeds.

Invertebrates

Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)

The classic clownfish host anemone for home reefs — bold colour morphs, sticky tentacles, and a wandering streak until it finds the right rock.

Invertebrates

Mystery Snail (Pomacea diffusa)

Large, colourful apple snails with personality — they cruise glass, graze leftovers, and lay distinctive egg clutches above the waterline.

Invertebrates

Bamboo Shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis)

Filter-feeding shrimp that unfurl feathered fans into the current — mesmerizing invertebrates for planted tanks with steady flow and fine foods.

Invertebrates

Assassin Snail (Anentome helena)

A cone-shelled predator used to thin pest snail populations — striking to look at and surprisingly peaceful toward fish when well fed.

Invertebrates

Ghost Shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus)

Transparent freshwater scavengers that are inexpensive, busy, and fascinating — great cleaners in peaceful community tanks when kept safely.

Nerite Snail (Neritina natalensis (and related Vittina / Neritina species))

Invertebrates

Nerite Snail (Neritina / Vittina spp.)

Hardworking algae grazers with striking shell patterns — they polish glass and hardscape without breeding into a population explosion in freshwater.

Invertebrates

Amano Shrimp (Caridina multidentata)

Takashi Amano’s legendary algae cleaners — larger, hungrier, and more industrious than cherry shrimp in mature planted aquariums.

Saltwater

Barber Pole Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus)

The Barber Pole Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus), also commonly known as the Banded Coral Shrimp or Coral Banded Shrimp, is one of the most recognizable…

Saltwater

Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)

The Cleaner Shrimp, also known as the Pacific Cleaner Shrimp or Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, is one of the most iconic and beneficial marine inver…

Saltwater

Sexy Shrimp (Thor amboinensis)

The Sexy Shrimp, scientifically known as Thor amboinensis, is one of the most eye-catching and charismatic shrimp species found in the marine aquar…

Invertebrates

Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus)

Discovering the Banded Coral Shrimp: Nature’s Striped Marvel Introduction The underwater world teems with an array of mesmerizing creatures, and…

Invertebrates

Green Tip Torch Coral (Euphyllia glabrescens)

Exploring the Stunning Green Tip Torch Coral: A Comprehensive Guide The underwater world is teeming with incredible marine life, and one such marve…

Invertebrates

Unlocking the Marvels of Photosynthetic Feeding in Corals

Introduction Coral reefs are among the most diverse and fascinating ecosystems on the planet. While they might seem like mere rocks or plants, cora…