All aquarists want their tank visitors to be impressed, which can be realized in many aspects. For example, you can buy a specially shaped fish tank, add some unique decorations, or arrange the things in your tank uniquely. But there is another simple way to make your tank more impressive, which is to add something people never thought to add to an aquarium.
Today, in this article, I’ll introduce 10 things you never thought to add to your aquarium with some important tips, that are going to be very helpful in successfully keeping these creatures.
10 things you never thought to add to your aquarium
When it comes to the selection of creatures for an aquarium, we have to choose the species that are beautiful, unique, and will give a pleasant appearance to our tanks. In the following, I’ve listed 10 things that will attract the eyes of fish tank visitors and make them curious about your tank.
1. Pistol Shrimp
Pistol shrimp are tiny and have two claws. The first claw is the small-pincer type and the other is like a large snapper which can be regenerated by itself. These shrimp are very peaceful and should not mix with any aggressive fish. But they will make a loud noise, which is very annoying for their owners. To make them feel comfortable, plant some coral and oyster reefs to mimic their natural environment.
| Lifespan | Up to 4 years |  |
| Length | Under 2 inches | |
| Care Level | Easy | |
| Diet | Omnivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 75°- 82° F | |
| Habitat | Indo-West Pacific area |
2. Pin Cushion
The name Pin Cushion itself describes that their body is a small and round-like structure like a cushion, but has spines on them. These spines protect them from predators but just for defense, they won’t kill themselves as these spines are not poisonous. They graze over rocks, corals, or other plants and feed while moving. An interesting fact is that they have mouths underneath the body, but they don’t have eyes or ears.
| Lifespan | Around 30 years |  |
| Length | 3–4 inches | |
| Care Level | Easy | |
| Diet | Nocturnal herbivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 1–5 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 72°- 78° F | |
| Habitat | Eastern Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean |
3. Watchman Goby
Watchman goby is an interesting fish that is famous for its unique activity. These fish have a bright-colored body, mostly in bright yellow–yellow–orange color. The best mates for them are pistol shrimp. Goby fish love keeping an eye on their safety, thus, they are also known as a watchman. Goby fish are very territorial, and they guard their area aggressively. They are also known as jumpers, as they jump when they are chased by some dominant fish or under stress.
Easy
| Lifespan | 8–12 years |  |
| Length | 0.35-11 inches (Depending on Species) | |
| Care Level | ||
| Diet | Omnivores or carnivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 30 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 72°- 82° F | |
| Habitat | Eastern Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean |
4. Tube Anomones
These beautiful creatures have tentacles around their mouth, which make them unique in the fish tank. They do not harm fish, but feed on small fish like tiny plankton, clams, mussels, crabs, and so on. In captivity, you can also feed them with frozen foods. They are usually hardy but calm and do not harm any other, even if they’ve been moved away from their identical.
| Lifespan | 60–80 years |  |
| Length | 8–12 inches | |
| Care Level | Moderate | |
| Diet | Carnivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 50 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 77°- 82° F | |
| Habitat | Deep oceans and shallow coastal waters worldwide |
5. Conch
These creatures need regular maintenance in an aquarium. The calcium level of water should be high for the healthy growth of their shell. They are nocturnal feeders and mostly feed on the bacteria, algae, and detritus in the tank. Conchs come from saltwater areas, so you can not put them in freshwater aquariums. And you should also not put two male conchs together, or they will fight.
| Lifespan | Up to 40 years |  |
| Length | 4–8 inches | |
| Care Level | Easy | |
| Diet | Herbivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 20 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 72°- 82° F | |
| Habitat | Coasts of the Caribbean, Keys, Bahamas, Bermuda, and Indo-Pacific Oceans Ocean |
6. Clam
Keeping clams in an aquarium is not a big deal once you can provide the right programmable lighting, flow, and water parameters for them. Most of the time, they dig through the substrate and stay covered themselves, with their upper portion exposed. They are also known as water cleaners, as they help fix water issues and eat algae.
| Lifespan | 6 months or more |  |
| Length | 7.6-15 cm | |
| Care Level | Easy | |
| Diet | Omnivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 65°- 80° F | |
|
Habitat |
North America |
7. Urchin
Urchins are easy to keep, you just need to add some rocks for them to graze and maintain the water parameters on time. One Urchin is enough for a 25-50 gallon tank. They are very peaceful and slow-moving creatures and do not harm other fish. But aggressive fish may hurt them, so please keep them away from aggressive ones to ensure their safety.
| Lifespan | 0.6-3 years |  |
| Length | 1–4 inches | |
| Care Level | Easy | |
| Diet | Omnivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 1 gallon per inch | |
| Water temperature | 72°- 78° F | |
| Habitat | Coast of Pacific |
8. Harlequin Shrimp
Harlequin shrimp are the friends of aquarists since they help protect the corals of the tank. Harlequin shrimp only eat starfish and some species of urchins. They bring a different look to a tank and their behavior attracts the tank visitors mostly. The best tank mates for them are gobies, fire-fish, and other small reef tank fish. You can also add some species of shrimps as their mates.
| Lifespan | Up to 7 years |  |
| Length | 1-2.5 inches | |
| Care Level | Moderate | |
| Diet | Carnivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 5–10 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 72°- 82° F | |
| Habitat | Hawaii and throughout the Indo-Pacific region |
9. Emerald Crab
You just need to add one emerald crab to a 10-gallon tank. Emerald crabs have a green-colored body with hairy legs. During the molting period, they usually hide for days, as their new skin is very vulnerable. Turning skin to white or leaving an empty shell behind shows they are molting. When it comes to the diet, you may need to create some algae in your fish tank to meet their demands. Moreover, to make them feel safe, a lot of hiding places are needed so you can add some fish tank decorations like hollow tree trunks for them.
| Lifespan | 2–4 years |  |
| Length | 1.5-2.5 inches | |
| Care Level | Moderate | |
| Diet | Omnivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 10 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 75°- 82° F | |
| Habitat | Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico |
10. Hermit Crab
Hermit crabs are soft-bodied of reddish-tan color. They have jointed long-clawed with brown or gray stripes. You can add vegetables, citrus fruits, chopped meat, and shrimp to their diet since they are omnivores, which are happy with both plants and meat. They have a territorial nature, and male hermit crabs will show aggression to other males to attract females. But they won’t be aggressive to fish.
| Lifespan | Up to 15 years |  |
| Length | 0.5-4 inches | |
| Care Level | Easy | |
| Diet | Omnivores | |
| Minimum tank size | 10–20 gallons | |
| Water temperature | 75°- 85° F | |
| Habitat | Tropical climates like the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Australia |
Conclusion
Now comes to the end of this article. Having known some basic information about the listed 10 creatures, are you ready to make a decision now? If you think they can add something special to your aquarium and prepare to buy one, do not hesitate. Once you put one of them in your tank, you’ll find your tank more attractive and interesting.
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