Invertebrates for brackish shoreline paludarium

I have a paludarium for my dwarf indian mudskippers and my native brackish water fish. The other fish are least kilifish (probably not going to last), hogchoker, and cuban limias.

it is a 33 gallon Long paludarium (4ft Long, 1ft wide). By footprint it is 50% deep water, 25% land and 25% shallow water slope. it's a sand substrate and a pile of rocks in the deeper water. The water is 4in deep. salinity is probably less than 1.010

I'm trying to figure out what native invertebrates would be great in this setup?

Thanks

fiddlers, grass shrimp, ?

I see by mapping your location that there are several canals headed to the pacific through your area.  I'd head to the mouth of one with my nets and take what it gave me!  and report back with pics, of course. . .

Nerite snails will do well and are easily found in pet shops. Larger shrimp, sand worms, brittle stars, starfish, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers are also common in brackish water and should do well. If you're willing to hand feed them, there are barnacles, anemones, and jellyfish. On trawling trips in the Gulf of Mexico on Tate's Hell NANFA trips, I've been amazed at how many "marine" animals are found in water with a salinity very close to freshwater. Perhaps they aren't permanent residents or they're used to periodic saltwater influxes, so keep a close eye out for mortality. 

Realize that most smaller invertebrates will probably end up as mudskipper chow. 

Phil Nixon

I'm not sure about the husbandry of them, but perhaps the marsh periwinkle snails (Littorina irrorata) might be a nice addition, giving your tank additional life on the land portion of your tank.  You might have to plant some marsh grass to feed them.  These are Atlantic and Gulf snails, but perhaps you have a similar species out your way?

If you add something like this, you'd have to find a way to make sure that they don't escape.

I'm not sure about the husbandry of them, but perhaps the marsh periwinkle snails (Littorina irrorata) might be a nice addition, giving your tank additional life on the land portion of your tank.  You might have to plant some marsh grass to feed them.  These are Atlantic and Gulf snails, but perhaps you have a similar species out your way?

 

If you add something like this, you'd have to find a way to make sure that they don't escape.

Chasmodes, have you ever kept them? I tried adding them to an exhibit last month at the NC state fair. We had a salt marsh tank of roughly 200-300 gallons, and cut large sections of spartina for bio filtration. The snails all died within a week. I was really confused and looking for pointers!

Is there anything that is easy to get? I'm not sure if I can collect invertebrates, but I will look it up again. Is there is anything that may show up in a store? I know that nerite snails are common. I'm not sure about the fiddler crab. I've heard mixed results about them. What about blue legged hermit crabs? What species of shrimp would be large enough? Is there a snail and/or shrimp that I can breed in there? any clams?

Thanks

 

Chasmodes, have you ever kept them? I tried adding them to an exhibit last month at the NC state fair. We had a salt marsh tank of roughly 200-300 gallons, and cut large sections of spartina for bio filtration. The snails all died within a week. I was really confused and looking for pointers!

No, I haven't kept them.  But I remember someone on RC kept them in a tidal tank.  His only problem is that they kept escaping.  I'll see if I can find that link and thread.

Here is a post that seemed to indicate a lack of success keeping them:

http://www.reefcentr...83&postcount=54

Maybe lack of food was the issue with keeping them before?  They love to climb marsh grass, so maybe keeping some marsh grass would be a good thing?  Anyway, there seems to be some good info in this thread about other critters.  I'll still look for that thread about the tidal tank.

Nerite snails will do well and are easily found in pet shops. Larger shrimp, sand worms, brittle stars, starfish, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers are also common in brackish water and should do well. If you're willing to hand feed them, there are barnacles, anemones, and jellyfish. On trawling trips in the Gulf of Mexico on Tate's Hell NANFA trips, I've been amazed at how many "marine" animals are found in water with a salinity very close to freshwater. Perhaps they aren't permanent residents or they're used to periodic saltwater influxes, so keep a close eye out for mortality. 

 

Realize that most smaller invertebrates will probably end up as mudskipper chow. 

 

Phil Nixon

Echinoderms in brackish water? I don't think that's very common.