Purple Reef Lobster Safe?
 

I picked up a purple reef lobster from Ocean City yesterday. I was told it is reef safe and it was housed with sexy shrimp, Cleaners, and Boxers and they were all not being eaten.

Thing is I just read that they might still try to eat the fish in my tank.
Anyone ever keep a PRL before?

20Gallon Tall with lots of rock.
Clown Fish
Tail Spot Blenny
Blue Legged Hermit
Cleaner Shrimp? (Haven't seen him for a while since I added new rock)

These are the only fish in there with him. I only plan to pick up maybe 2-3 more small fish in the future.

purple lobster
 

I have one, and he does eat shrimp, crabs and slow moving fish. That being said it is not as bad as it sounds. I can usually keep shrimps for quite a while, sometimes years. the crabs I dont care about they go missing a couple a month the smarter ones have been in there for almost 3 years. But I dont buy any slow moving fish anymore. no mandarins, no blennies, and no definitely no clams. And he does bother the corals at all. The rest of my fish are fine with him tangs, clowns, damsels, chromis antheis

I had one, they grow really fast and grow very large. Mine would try to attack my fish while they were settled in for the night. They are very cool but watch it closely.

Dont be too worried about what everyone is saying about your lobster.
The owner of ocean-city is positive they are reefsafe.
I myself have read online that they can be not reefsafe, but as you see he houses them with the shrimps and he himself wouldnt do that if they were not.

Go with this advice.
Everything can be unsafe at anytime, some angels, some butterflys and other reletivily reefsafe fish can at a moments notice wreck your tank overnite if they get the feeling to start to eat corals and other items.

I can for sure say that the owner of oceans wouldnt try to sell you a unsafe critter, because infact if it does destroy your tank he would loose a customer, and for a 40$ lobster it wouldnt be wise on his side.

I have seen hermit crabs eating a live starfish, this would mean that all hermit crabs are unsafe.

Dont listen to the majority, most are just speaking from passed down knowlage.

I have had one since the beginning, still fairly small. Kinda a waste of money, as he never comes out, sometimes you can sneak a peak at him, but personally for me a waste of $$$$

great lfs advice:mrgreen:

+1
In a 20 gallon everything will be breakfast. I would return the lobster if I were you.

Well its been a couple days and hes made a little hiding spot in the corner at the back. I can see him too, which at least makes him a little enjoyable.
Haven't seen him ever leave there, and I am in front of my tank all day.

Hes come out to grab bits of brine shrimp that come back there, but so far hes left the Blenny and Clown alone.
They both sleep in a hole at the very top of the tank. The lobster doesn't seem to be able to get up.

Does anyone know a trap for him tho?
I was thinking of the bottle with a string on the end, but I don't know what to bait it with.
I cant seem to find anything online to much about this lobster either.
Will a boiled shrimp work?

It's knowledge and "I myself have read online that they can be not reef safe" is speaking from... passed down knowlage :lol:.

I think your fastest bet if you really want to take him out is by going in and getting him, in a 20g tank it shouldn't be to hard at all. In a larger tank I would consider him reef-safeish but in a 20g your just asking for trouble. It sucks, there such sweet looking additions to the tank.

Alway trust the kid at the LFS. I'm still kicking myself I didn't pick up that nice little Sweetlips for my 75g (small point they grow to 3')