New Member with Symbiotic Question

[scooter1010]

First let me start by saying Hi to all.
I have been doing a lot of reading and am in the process of setting up a 39g Nano Reef Tank. What I love about these tanks is the whole microcosm of this ecosystem. All of it is in effect a Symbiotic relationship. What I would like to do is feature as many symbiotic parings as possible and let that be the focal point of my tank. I do know about some of the more popular pairings(clown/anemone, shrimp/goby, and most corals) Can you give me some other examples that might be unusual but still be maintained well in a small reef tank environment? Also I tried to look it up on the internet and basically have come up with the usual clown to anemone pairings but really not much else. Any advice on where to look would be appreciated.
Thanks in Advance
Scooter

 

[jimroth]

Hi, and welcome. I too am a fan of symbiosis/commensalism/parasitism!

Well, there is the sea cucumber -- gonad-eating buttfish pearlfish relationship. That's pretty cool, maybe not visually so great.

I love seeing an acro head hosting a bunch of the little acro crabs (trapezius), it's a shame that the treatments for some acro pests wipe 'em out.

The staghorn hermit carries around a living hydrocoral instead of a snail shell. Unfortunately, in the aquarium they often switch to a boring old shell.

I love xmas tree worm rock, sometimes you can get a piece that includes the adorable sessile hermit crabs. I've never been able to keep the worms live for more than a year, I think they need careful feeding. I don't know if you can call it symbiosis, really.

Similarly there was a guy a couple years back who was astounded to look into his tridacna clam and see little, almost transparent shrimp in there. I don't know if the clam gets anything out of this or if it's more like parasitism.

 

[Hawkeye]

I think jim covered a lot of them...

Besides the acro crab - clown gobies are known to live in colonies of Acro. They do nip the coral polyps but in exchange provide needed nitrogen waste. The issue with these gobies is handling/transport to the tank...(and then proper diet).

welcome to njrc!

 

[scooter1010]

Thanks for the replies Jim and Phil. They are appreciated.

 

[Jcurry@wesketch]

There is also anemone shrimp / anemone or a porcelain crab / anemone commensal relationship.

 

[chaoscat]

How about Harlequin shrimp and starfish. That's sort of symbiotic...well....except for the whole starfish eventually dies thing.