Aquatic life is full of uniqueness. There are numerous small marine animals that you can keep in your tank. These are not only limited to fish such as aquarium nonfish pets, but they span a large variety, i.e., starfish, shrimps, etc. In the following, you will learn about small non-fish aquatic animals for freshwater and other tanks. Moreover, a section on some small non-aquatic crazy animals is worth reading in this article. Here are also little animal suggestions for an 8-gallon tank.
Content Table
small aquatic animals
Small Aquatic Animals
Aquariums are not restricted to fish. You can keep several other aquatic animals along with the fish. Here is the list of such little animals with their origin.
| Pet | Category | Origin |
| Cherry Shrimp | Freshwater Shrimp | Taiwan |
| Amano Shrimp | Freshwater Shrimp | Japan and Taiwan |
| Ghost Shrimp | Freshwater Shrimp | North America |
| Mystery Snail | Freshwater Snail | South America |
| Nerite Snail | Freshwater Snail | East Africa |
| Ramshorn Snail | Freshwater Snail | Worldwide |
| African Dwarf Frog | Aquatic Frog | Central Africa |
| Fiddler Crab | Crab | Coastal regions worldwide |
| Vampire Crab | Crab | Indonesia (Southeast Asia) |
| Axolotl | Salamander/Newt | Mexico |
| Chinese Fire-Bellied Newt | Salamander/Newt | China |
| Bubble Tip Anemone | Sea Anemone | Indo-Pacific Oceans |
| Soft Corals | Coral | Tropical/Subtropical Oceans |
| Turbo Snails | Marine Snail | Indo-Pacific Oceans |
| Peppermint Shrimp | Marine Shrimp | Western Atlantic Ocean |
| Cleaner Shrimp | Marine Shrimp | Indo-Pacific Oceans |
| Chocolate Chip Sea Star | Sea Star | Indo-Pacific Oceans |
| Pencil Sea Urchin | Sea Urchin | Indo-Pacific Oceans |
| Moon Jellyfish | Jellyfish | Worldwide in Coastal Waters |
| Apple Snail | Aquatic Snail | South America |
| Bamboo Shrimp | Freshwater Shrimp | Southeast Asia |
| Sulawesi Snail | Freshwater Snail | Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| Thai Micro Crab | Crab | Thailand |
| Marbled Crayfish | Freshwater Crayfish | Worldwide (Lab-bred species) |
| Red Claw Crab | Crab | Southeast Asia |
| Electric Blue Crayfish | Freshwater Crayfish | Florida, USA |
| Dwarf Seahorse | Seahorse | Western Atlantic Ocean |
| Boxer crab | Crab | Indo-Pacific Oceans |
Uniqueness Little Animals in the Fish Tank
Freshwater accommodates about 41% of fish species. Other than fish, numerous animals live there. They vary in size, food, and many other aspects. Some small freshwater animals are suitable to keep in your freshwater tank. Here is a list of such small, unique, and freshwater animals.
| Animal | Category | Uniqueness | Tank type | Care Level |
| Axolotl | Salamander/Newt | External gills, perpetual “juvenile” state | Freshwater | Moderate |
| Vampire Crab | Crab | Yellow eyes in bright purple body | Freshwater | Moderate |
| Cherry Shrimp | Shrimp | Vibrant red color, active scavenger | Freshwater | Easy |
| Pom Pom Crab | Crab | Carries small sea anemones in its claws | Freshwater | Moderate |
| Nerite Snail | Snail | Unique shell patterns, algae eater | Freshwater | Easy |
| Electric Blue Crayfish | Crayfish | Striking electric blue color | Freshwater | Moderate |
| Thai Micro Crab | Crab | Small size, reclusive nature | Freshwater | High |
| Sulawesi Snail | Snail | Unique shell design, vibrant colors | Freshwater | Moderate |
| Amano Shrimp | Shrimp | Efficient algae cleaner, transparent body | Freshwater | Easy |
Little Animals That Can Live in a Water Aquarium
Many small aquatic animals survive in other than freshwater aquariums. Here is a list of a few aquatic animals besides their characteristics, i.e., tank type, size, life span, and care level for non-fish aquatic animals.
| Specie | Origin | Tank type | Size | Lifespan | Care Level |
| Red Claw Crab | Crab | Saltwater | 4.5cm | 2-2.5 | Moderate |
| Pencil Sea Urchin | Sea Urchin | Saltwater | 10–20 cm | 5 | Moderate |
| Fiddler Crab | Crab | Brackish/Saltwater | 2.5 to 5 cm | 1.5 | Moderate |
| Chocolate Chip Sea Star | Sea Star | Saltwater | 30 cm | 5–7 | Moderate |
| Moon Jellyfish | Jellyfish | Saltwater | 5–40 cm | 1-1.5 | High |
| Bubble Tip Anemone | Sea Anemone | Saltwater | 30 cm | 80 | Moderate |
| Dwarf Seahorse | Seahorse | Saltwater | 2 to 2.5 | 1 | High |
| Peacock Mantis Shrimp | Mantis | Species-only tanks | 5–18 | 3-6 | Moderate |
| Sea Cucumbers | Echinoderm phylum | Reef tank | 10 to 30 | 5 -10 | High |
| Brittle Star | Starfish | Reef tank | 10 to 30 | 10–34 | High |
Crazy Little Animals for a Non-Water Aquarium
There are several pets for your crazy non-aquatic aquariums, e.g., terrarium. Here, you’ll learn about such crazy, little non-aquatic pets for your terrarium, etc.
Springtail
| Springtail is a harmless arthropod. Its size is less than 0.2 inches. It can jump up to 6 inches without running, which is like a human jumping over the Eifel Tower. Sounds crazy? Yes, it is. It is the fastest backflipping animal on the Earth.
Due to its hydrophobic nature, it can walk on water surfaces. It eats molds. Therefore, they are one of the best options for terrarium cleaning. However, you need to lay a moist substrate in your tank. Moreover, it’s easy to keep them. |
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Dairy Cow Isopods
| It’s another crazy fellow for non-aquatic tanks. Their size is 0.5–1 inch and belongs to the crustacean class. It’s easy to keep them. They are highly active. Other than activity, they reproduce at a high pace. Their love for protein is another level. They can even bite other fellows to have protein in their body.
They are suitable for bioactive tanks as they can decompose the organic matter. Their burrowing habit improves soil health. Moreover, they are a nutritious food source for reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. |
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Frog-Eyed Gecko
| Frog-eyed geckos are another crazy non-aquatic creature. It is a 4 to 6 inches lizard. These are super crazy when it comes to the defense of their territory. In threatening conditions, it yelps or hiss, lashes its tail, stands on tiptoe, arches its back, and expands its throat.
Moreover, in a crazy moment, you can see its wide mouth opening, rushing forward to bite, and shedding its tail. Keep it in a separate tank to avoid crazy scenes. It requires moderate care to keep it in the tank. |
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Blue Death-Feigning Beetle
| It belongs to the beetle and grows up to 1–2 inches. They are attributed with two unique qualities, i.e., blue color and pretend to be dead. On sensing danger, it rolls on its back and pretends to be dead until it feels safe. It can pretend it for hours.
They are nocturnal, hardy, and easy to feed. They are harmless, live up to 8 years in captivity, and feed on live prey. It is easy to maintain, and it loves arid sand and rocky conditions. |
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Hermit crab
| Hermit crabs are schooling pets and enjoy each other company. Generally, peaceful, but they pinch in threatening conditions. Captivity reduces their life by up to 15 years. Otherwise, they live up to 30 years in the wild.
You can keep 3 crabs in a 35 cm glass cage. You will feel their aggressiveness in holding a large defensive claw. They shed their exoskeleton, which may take up to 60 days. Dead plants, animals, shrimp, and small crabs are their favorite food items. |
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Pacman Frog
| Pacman frog is another small crazy animal. Usually, they are docile and solitary. However, when they feel threatened or offended, they turn to aggressive feeders. In the worst scenario, they can bite, even though very mild. They love everything to eat that comes to their striking range.
They have sensitive skin but don’t like extreme care. In stressful conditions, they can bite and scratch. In threat, they burrow in substrate. They are highly vocal, especially during mating, feeding, and attacking conditions. |
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Fire-Bellied Toad
| With large mood swings, the fire-bellied toad is another small, crazy, and unique non-aquatic pet. Craziness is often a property of male toads as they frequently fight over food and mates. Their frenzied behavior is more visible during mating season. They even try to mate with fish and newts. Their mating call feels like barking like a dog.
Their belly color comes from carotene. They are always alert about their surroundings and show a high level of unusual interactivity among frogs. In threat, they exhibit a sunken reflex to keep the threatening animal away. This reflex involves arching their back, raising their front legs, and showing their underside, which is bright red and black. |
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What Animals Can I Keep in an 8-Gallon Tank, Non-Fish Pets
You can keep several small non-fish pet animals in an 8-gallon tank. Their care level varies with the species. Here is a list of such animals with care level, and other important details.
| Specie | Care Level | Average life (years) | Size (inches) | Number of pets in 8-gallon tank |
| Shrimp | Easy | 1–7 | 1–2 | 10–20 |
| Mystery snail | Easy | 1–2 | 1.5–2 | 3–5 |
| Nerite snail | Easy | 1–2 | 0.5–2.5 | 2–4 |
| Sea Monkey | Easy | 2–3 months | ~0.5–0.75 | Several dozen |
| African Dwarf Frogs | Easy | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1-2 |
| CPO Crayfish | Moderate | 2–3 | 1.6–2.0 | 1 |
| Fire-Belly Newts | Moderate | 10–15 | 2.2–4.0 | 1– 2 |
Closing Remarks
Several small aquatic animals, i.e., shrimps, crabs, snails, etc., are suitable for your aquarium. Some of them have unique characteristics, like unique color, body structure, etc. Springtail, dairy cow isopods, and frog-eyed geckos are some crazy non-aquatic pets for your other types of paludarium. African dwarf frogs, fire-belly newts, CPO crayfish, etc., are little animals that suit 8-gallon tanks. Do you know any other animals, small non-fish animals for aquariums? Let us know in the comment section.
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