Reef Lobster - what to do with Larry

[Fire_Reefer]

I've searched everywhere and read a lot of opinions and experiences about the purple reef lobster...

Here's my dilemma. I have one in my 34g. Im pretty sure he ate my diamond goby a few months ago. And I'm fairly certain he ate a watchman goby I put in last year. He's lived with my yellow damsel and my blue hippo tang with no issues.

I'm planning on breaking down the 34g so I can focus on the 168g. Do I risk this guy doing damage in the big tank with all the other fish? Or do I try and rehome him?

Would it matter that the new tank is about 4 times the size? I really enjoy the little jerk but if I ever lost one of the fish in the big tank to him I would kick myself.

I'll see if I can find a picture to help/hurt his case.

 

[Krustykrab]

Mine is in my sump. Beautiful creature but I don’t see him unless I look with a flashlight at night. I think he may have eaten peppermint shrimp. I can’t prove it but I think it eats aptasia. The box running down the midline of the back of my tank which houses the return and drain pipes is full of aptasia, but I never see them for long in my sump and never in my display tank.

 

[Fire_Reefer]

Mine is in my sump. Beautiful creature but I don’t see him unless I look with a flashlight at night. I think he may have eaten peppermint shrimp. I can’t prove it but I think it eats aptasia. The box running down the midline of the back of my tank which houses the return and drain pipes is full of aptasia, but I never see them for long in my sump and never in my display tank.

This is my first tank with a sump and I completely forgot about that option. Maybe a life under the sea is perfect for him.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

This is my Larry the Hairy Lobster
It’s around 10 years old!
We love this guy
Unfortunately he’s residing in the chaetomorpha refugium theses days but will get a tank of its own in the near future

 

[JVU]

This is my Larry the Hairy Lobster
It’s around 10 years old!
We love this guy
Unfortunately he’s residing in the chaetomorpha refugium theses days but will get a tank of its own in the near future

Does yours eat Aiptasia?

 

[Kensington Reefer]

Does yours eat Aiptasia?

Lol...I wish!!
It does eat newly introduced fish...booooo

 

[Fire_Reefer]

Lol...I wish!!
It does eat newly introduced fish...booooo

That's my concern!

As for Larry, I've never had aiptasia so I wouldn't know if he is that useful.

Sump dwelling might be his life for a while.

 

[derek_SR]

This is my Larry the Hairy Lobster
It’s around 10 years old!
We love this guy
Unfortunately he’s residing in the chaetomorpha refugium theses days but will get a tank of its own in the near future

You won't name your fish but you're naming your lobster, huh?

 

[BAYMAC]

You won't name your fish but you're naming your lobster, huh?

I'll name everything but a fish Well, if one is being a real jerk, it could get given a*****e as a name

There's is an old aquarium store in Chicago that had a large lobster (tropical) for a long time (I think they said 10 years). He would beg for food, and hold on to your hand so you could lift him out and pet him. They kept every molt and had them on display.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

I'll name everything but a fish Well, if one is being a real jerk, it could get given a*****e as a name

There's is an old aquarium store in Chicago that had a large lobster (tropical) for a long time (I think they said 10 years). He would beg for food, and hold on to your hand so you could lift him out and pet him. They kept every molt and had them on display.

Awesome sauce!
I do have many of the molts. So many people ask if that’s a dead lobster!
I have also had the spiny blue reef lobster....it too displayed the begging behavior
Inverts are awesome!

This species is Hawaiian if I’m not mistaken. This guy would proudly walk around the tank. It has lived with fish in the past, I probably won’t keep it with fish in the future.
If I’m not mistaken, I think you have the purple reef lobster. They definitely hide, ya almost never see them.

 

[BAYMAC]

I'll name everything but a fish Well, if one is being a real jerk, it could get given a*****e as a name

There's is an old aquarium store in Chicago that had a large lobster (tropical) for a long time (I think they said 10 years). He would beg for food, and hold on to your hand so you could lift him out and pet him. They kept every molt and had them on display.

Old Orchard Aquarium

Pet Supplies Store in Skokie, IL

foursquare.com

There's a photo I found online. It lived in a giant pool along with other fish.

and another

Bummer to see they are closed down now