Will Lobster Be Ok

[sorgan]

i now have my tank (hooray) it lights, filter, protien skimmer. saturday it will have water, power head, new heater and sand will be ready.

sunday i get my LR to put into my pre warmed tank, there is a but.
the chap i am getting the LR from has 1 thing left to go in his tank, a lobster, i imagine the lobsters chances are pretty slim in an empty tank... soooo if i took him, did the drip acclimation thing with my new water and added him after LR and sand will he be ok? i dont like to think of this lonely lobster watching me leave with a tear in it eye(?)

live rock is fine and its only a short drive home (i intend to put it in buckets of water)

 

[AK77]

If the lobster is going to be left behind then you might as well have it. No point leaving the poor thing alone to die.

My advice would be, if possible, take a plastic 25L jerrycan and take some of his tank water. Add this to your tank with the live rock and your fresh saltwater. Drip accilmatize the lobster and then add it. It should be fine.

Be aware though, that the lobster may limit what else you can keep in the tank with it and may hunt other invertebrates and maybe small fish. Things like gobies ando ther ground dwelling fish may be at risk. Some species may grow up to 5" and may not be a problem while its juvenile but, may become a problem when it grows.

Do you know what species it is? Probably the most often seen is the purple reef lobster.

 

[sorgan]

chap said his was a reef tank and the lobster never bothered anything so i think he will be ok.
i will do as you say AK, i really dont want the poor thing to croak. at least he will get a fighting chance.

if he causes a fuss i will take it to the LFS, at least it will still be alive.

 

[AK77]

chap said his was a reef tank and the lobster never bothered anything so i think he will be ok.
i will do as you say AK, i really dont want the poor thing to croak. at least he will get a fighting chance.

if he causes a fuss i will take it to the LFS, at least it will still be alive.

Hi Sorgan,

It might not have bothered anything in his tank, as he might not of had anything in there it could bother lol. They can be very attractive though, so if you would really like to have him as part of your tank's livestock, then its probably best to keep it with appropriate tank mates. Provided its well fed and you don't have young shrimp and juvenille fish that it could potentially prey upon, it shouldn't harm anything else.