Recommend Small Reef Safe Inverts For 7g Cube

Here are some of the ones I'd be most interested in:

-bumblebee shrimp (#1 pick so far)
-harlequin shrimp
-blood red fire shrimp
-Halloween hermit crab
-electric blue hermit crab
-blue leg hermit crabs
-scarlet reef hermit crab
-bubble snails (not sure if reef safe, need more research, but they look amazing)

The tank will also contain a few nassarius and astrea snails.

 

Here are some of the potential problems with the ones you've listed:

Bumblebee shrimp are really best suited for picos, IMO. They're so tiny and elusive that in anything much bigger than 2-3 gallons you'll never get to see the little thing. That said, perfectly safe for your tank.

Harlequin Shrimp are awesome, but require a steady supply of live starfish. Not cheap, maybe a bit cruel (you're cutting up an animal daily, while it's living), and not exactly convenient.

No complaints with the fire shrimp.

Halloween Hermits tend to be good reef cleaners. Just keep in mind that it IS a crab, and will be opportunistic. It isn't unheard of for reef-safe crabs to take a liking to coral and other inverts.

Both the electric blue and blue leg hermits are pretty aggressive. Reef-safe, but blue hermits are usually recommended against in most tanks. Use at your own risk.

I have a scarlet hermit and have had no issues. But, it's a crab. They're opportunistic.

From what I've read on bubble snails, they're relatively reef safe. However, they only really live for a few months, and could quickly run out of food in a 7 gallon. They feed on certain microfauna.

 

Here are some of the potential problems with the ones you've listed:

Bumblebee shrimp are really best suited for picos, IMO. They're so tiny and elusive that in anything much bigger than 2-3 gallons you'll never get to see the little thing. That said, perfectly safe for your tank.

Harlequin Shrimp are awesome, but require a steady supply of live starfish. Not cheap, maybe a bit cruel (you're cutting up an animal daily, while it's living), and not exactly convenient.

No complaints with the fire shrimp.

Halloween Hermits tend to be good reef cleaners. Just keep in mind that it IS a crab, and will be opportunistic. It isn't unheard of for reef-safe crabs to take a liking to coral and other inverts.

Both the electric blue and blue leg hermits are pretty aggressive. Reef-safe, but blue hermits are usually recommended against in most tanks. Use at your own risk.

I have a scarlet hermit and have had no issues. But, it's a crab. They're opportunistic.

From what I've read on bubble snails, they're relatively reef safe. However, they only really live for a few months, and could quickly run out of food in a 7 gallon. They feed on certain microfauna.

Thank you so much for the input.

I know the bumblebee shrimp are tiny... we have some in a 20 gallon at work and you almost never see them. However, I think in a 7 they'd still be active and visible... hopefully.

I didn't know harlequins needed a diet of starfish. I know bumblebee shrimp also eat starfish, but we have had no trouble getting them to eat prepared foods at the store.

Weird you say that about the blue legs. That is the main hermit we sell and they're so tiny, I didn't think having several in a nano tank would be a problem. Why are blue legs not recommended?

And I figured there was a catch to the bubble snails, just figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

I feel like a beginner hobbyist again asking these saltwater questions, over on the fresh forum I'm usually the one giving advice

 

Lol, it's the learning that's fun for me! Asking questions is never a bad thing.

If you find the bumblebee shrimp to be large enough for you, then by all means, go for it! I don't have any personal experience with them. One of the threads I followed on another forum was 5.5 with a couple of them, and they were never seen. That said, that tank had fish. Try it! You can most definitely have more than just one species of shrimp in that tank.

Bumblebee shrimp will eat starfish, but they accept other food. Harlequins accept ONLY a few species of starfish and a few urchins, none of which are cheap and none of which are easily cultured. Sad, because harlequins are so unique.

Blue legs tend to be a bit more aggressive than scarlets. I've had them before, and they were most definitely more "nosey" than my scarlets were. They're all the time on corals, macros, and jump on a sick fish as soon as they show signs of weakness, at least IME. Scarlets will do the same, they just seem to be a bit slower about it.

 

Lol, it's the learning that's fun for me! Asking questions is never a bad thing.

If you find the bumblebee shrimp to be large enough for you, then by all means, go for it! I don't have any personal experience with them. One of the threads I followed on another forum was 5.5 with a couple of them, and they were never seen. That said, that tank had fish. Try it! You can most definitely have more than just one species of shrimp in that tank.

Bumblebee shrimp will eat starfish, but they accept other food. Harlequins accept ONLY a few species of starfish and a few urchins, none of which are cheap and none of which are easily cultured. Sad, because harlequins are so unique.

Blue legs tend to be a bit more aggressive than scarlets. I've had them before, and they were most definitely more "nosey" than my scarlets were. They're all the time on corals, macros, and jump on a sick fish as soon as they show signs of weakness, at least IME. Scarlets will do the same, they just seem to be a bit slower about it.

Ok... how about banded coral shrimp? I love their appearance but I'm worried they might be aggressive or too large for a 7 gallon.

I'm probably going to do a mix of bumblebee with a blood red fire shrimp or scarlet/halloween hermit. Sound good?

 

A banded coral shrimp would be alright in a 7, but it'd take a large portion of the tank, and would need to be the only shrimp in the tank. They don't like other shrimp.

I personally think that plan sounds great. Not sure if you know this or not, but bumblebee shrimp actually do really well in pairs rather than groups. If you want multiple, I'd attempt to get a pair.

 

I personally think that plan sounds great. Not sure if you know this or not, but bumblebee shrimp actually do really well in pairs rather than groups. If you want multiple, I'd attempt to get a pair.

As in male/female pairs? I was unaware of this. I assumed they just preferred to be in a small colony.

 

I'm fairly sure male/female, yes. I have no idea how to sex them, though.

 

I'm fairly sure male/female, yes. I have no idea how to sex them, though.

Me either