Purple Lobster?

[mrdc]

I'm thinking of getting a purple lobster. I read that they are reef safe and like a lot of rock work and substrate for burrowing. They won't mess with other inverts unless provoked. The color is great but will I ever get to see him? Also, what experience have you had? Thanks.

 

[pclown]

I saw one and I wanted it real bad I was told by many that they always hide and you never see them. One LFS who sells them said that they are not the hardiest thing to keep either.
I do like them and if I could keep one and be able to see it I would get one.

 

[mrdc]

Yeah, that's what I am afraid of. I have too many things as it is that I hardly ever get to see except at night with a flashlight.

 

[pclown]

I came close to buying one but decided not to, I am also looking at a fire shrimp. It is my favorit of the cleaner shrimp but I hear that it is also very shy. I hate paying money for something I never see.

 

[mrdc]

I like the fire shrimp too. I only get to see my cleaner, peppermint and one of my pistol shrimps. I only get to see the pistol because he hangs out with the yellow watchman goby. The pther pistol hangs out in the same cave as the watchman at night. I can see him somethimes with a flashlight. My blue boxer can only be seen at night too. My sexy shrimps have just started to come out and I hope that they stay that way. Anyway, the lobster is $12 and I need to go back to get some more snails so I guess I will make up my mind while I am there.

 

[pclown]

If, you get it please keep me informed.

 

[superh]

I've had a purple lobster for about 3 weeks or so now in my FOWLR tank. He has 2 different caves (burrowed out live sand under edges of the live rock) that he goes back and forth between. Unfortunately, like many who've already told you he does hide all the time and I wouldn't buy one again for that very reason. He looks cool and everything, but I just don't ever see him.

 

[mrdc]

I probably won't get one due to the fact that it hides. He even hides in the few rocks that are in the LFS tank. I may just go with some trumpet coral that I have been watching. I know they can't hide

 

[alyssia]

I have a purple lobster. He is only in my 20 gallon but still I hardly EVER see him.

 

[sharkbait9]

no no no go and get one. my buddy has one the only thing you have to do is imagine the body where the antenna stick out all day, cause that’s all your gonna see

IMO just a waste of money and space

 

[danedodger]

I got one several months ago because I was going to run a hypo treatment on my tanks at work which would've killed the purple lobster. So I adopted him. About 2 days after I put him in my tank I found his shell and felt sorry because he'd died. We put a snowflake eel into the tank just a few days ago and suddenly there's the purple lobster!!!! So nope, he didn't seem to harm a single thing in my tank (fish, mushrooms, leather coral, hermies, peppermint shrimp, turbos) but he hid so well I didn't even know he was there for months!!! On the other hand, I'm sure he was doing a good job of cleaning the tank when we weren't looking, he had to be eating SOMETHING all that time, so you could consider him a part of the cleanup crew I s'pose.

 

[mrdc]

Thanks all. You actually have helped me to make up my mind in not getting one. Like I said earlier, I have too many things that I already can't see. I will be reaquascaping this week (BIG PROJECT) so maybe when I am done, I will reconsider. While I am rearranging the rock work and taking a lot of rocks out, I might focus on removing the evil damsels