That Orange Fuzzy Drip
Palinurellus wieneckii is a lobster that has the brilliant coloration of having already been cooked when it hasn't! Not to worry though, even though these small lobsters do (rarely) show up in rural fish markets, you're not likely to see one at your local grocery store (cooked or raw!) The fact that they are fuzzy makes them look even cooler in aquariums, but perhaps less appetizing... In fact, you're not very likely to see them ever! Even as an aquarium inhabitant, these are an anomaly, which is a bit of a shame. There aren't a ton of “lobsters” that make great aquarium pets. Usually they are too big, need water temperatures that are too cold, and / or are wildly destructive little buggers; none of these issues are a problem with the Orange Furry Lobster!
Orange Furry Lobsters have a very wide range, being found all over the Tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. They generally live in shallow water, 90 feet on the deep end, and much more commonly around 15 to 30 feet deep. They lack the huge pincer claws of some other lobsters and have a somewhat softer shell, so it isn't any surprise that they tend to hide deep in caves and are generally nocturnal as a self-defense mechanism. You'd hide from predators too if you were brilliant orange and defenseless! These stay quite small, and an average adult size is around five inches long, including its antennae.
This diminutive size and generally sedentary lifestyle means these critters don't need that large of an aquarium. If you have a small one, a tank as small as 20 gallons could work. Palinurellus wieneckii grows slowly, and so you wouldn't need a bigger tank for quite a while, and even then, a single adult specimen could be kept in a tank as small as 40 gallons without any issue. The tank should offer them a couple good hiding places, and it would be wise to make sure you can see into these fairly easily so you can keep an eye on your lobster. They will do some “cleaning out” in these caves, so make sure that your rocks are very stable and resting on the bottom of the tank, not the sand. As far as sand goes, they do not need it, per say, but they will move it around a bit and so some sand might help them acclimate.
In regard to water quality, Orange Fuzzies are not especially sensitive. Avoid copper at all costs, and make sure salinity is stable at 1.025 or 1.026. They are usually found in water that is at the higher end of what we generally keep our marine aquariums at, and we suggest that you keep yours between 78- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit. They are not overly sensitive to nitrates, though you should still strive to keep your tanks nitrate levels under control.
Lighting isn't an issue for Palinurellus wieneckii except for their being nocturnal. You may find it easier to train them for daylight appearances in displays that are more dimly lit. This training isn't hard but does take patience. Initially offer them their food when the lights go out, or in the morning before they go on. Shift this time further into daylight over several weeks and sooner or later, they will become bolder. You'll need to feed your lobster a few times a week. Very small specimens (under two inches) should be offered food every day. Whatever they don't take within a couple hours should be removed from the tank. Their wild food is rich in protein; they will gladly take meaty chunks of silverside, or cockle on half shell, krill etc. All of these are available from Gamma Foods and that is what we are feeding our Orange Fuzzy Lobsters in house.
Our experience with these lobsters is that they are much less aggressive than other ornamental lobsters. They don't bother most fish, and simultaneously are mostly ignored. We would caution you not to keep them with fish they could easily catch like Pipefish, or fish that could easily eat them, like large Triggers or Puffers. The question we get the most often on them is “are they reef safe?” We don't have rock solid answer for this just yet. Palinurellus wieneckii has been a pretty rare find for a long time, and so there just isn't a ton of data available. Our experience is that they have been fine in the tanks we've kept them in, with the exception of clams. We keep them well fed, and in tanks devoid of sand bed corals (and clams), and as of now, we haven't had any incidents. We are cautiously optimistic on this front. You should not keep them with other species of lobster as they will get bullied and maybe killed, though we've had them in displays with more than one Orange Fuzzy Lobster and this has not been an issue. If you see them for sale in groups, this is low risk, just make sure there are enough caves for all of them individually.
In Local Fish Stores, you'll see these fish sold most often as Orange or Red Fuzzy Lobsters, though occasionally they are also seen labeled as Yoron Shrimp, Red Dwarf Spiny Lobster, Mole Lobster and Coral Lobster and the Indo-Pacific Lobster. They are relatives of the Spiny Lobster, but are a very different critter, especially when it comes to temperament. You'll be hard pressed to find a more appropriate lobster for the home aquarium, and this one is gorgeous to boot. If you're interested in keeping one of these interesting inverts, head to your LFS and ask them for a Palinurellus wieneckii today!