Arrow Crabs...

[Mr. Guitar]

Hey y'all!!! I've been doin a little research on Arrow Crabs lately and wanted to know what y'all think. Are they reef safe or not? I've read that they are and aren't. Any thoughts? Thanks!!!

[bufu11]

i have 1 and he is reef safe, sometimes he bothers my cleaner shrimp but never any fish or coral

[edwing206]

whe I had one in my tank he would kinda grab the fish when they got close to him and kinda tilt them on their side but nothing more than that

[Mr. Guitar]

Thanks for the info y'all. Anyone else with info?

[JENnKerry]

They're great scavengers.

[Phyto]

I love my arrow crab. The only thing I don't like is that he steals food out of my polyps (if he is not working on his own meal).



http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/117568arrow_crab_eats_bristle_worm.jpg

[Mr. Guitar]

Awesome Arrow Crab!!! I think they are so cool how they look. I think I'm gonna get one now. Thanks for the help y'all!!!

[Mr. Guitar]

Well, went to my lfs last night and got an Arrow Crab!!! It's sooooooo cool!!! It hasn't bothered anything in my tank...except for my feather duster. It learned really quick not to mess with it. It tried to pinch the feather duster and I gently hit it with my finger and it hasn't bothered it since. I'll have to post a picture of it later day. Thanks for all y'all's help!!!

[Kgoarmy17]

I've seen arrow crabs spear fish before, small fish*.

Also he will go for your feather duster again, hope your there next time :P

Ive heard good and bad stories about these crabs, I have kept one myself years ago, and he ate all my featherdusters. My better half didn't like that and suffice to say the crab went back.

[Mr. Guitar]

Thanks for the info Kgoarmy17!!! I've had my Arrow Crab for almost a week and doesn't bother a thing. I'm amazed...I thought he'd get hold of the Feather Duster by now. He just hangs out behind my huge Green Hammer and just stays there until I feed the fish. Sorry y'all...I haven't taken a picture of 'em yet. I will this weekend. Thanks again!!!

[delsol650]

They are known to love feather dusters... they will clean your tank of small bristle worms too.. if you have other shrimp especially smaller ones he will bully them and if not kill them... just like a big Coral Banded would..

[Mr. Guitar]

I have a big Blood Shrimp but it hasn't bothered it. I still have my Feather Duster!!! Yeah!!! haha.

[Kgoarmy17]

::knock on wood::

[Kent E]

These things will eat hermits and maybe snails.

[delsol650]

anything it feels it can overpower is fair game to a arrowcrab.

[squiddly]

Mine was fine for perhaps a month, and as I type this, he is eating my gorgonia, has killed and deshelled a snail and ate it, and would definitely go after my shrimp if they weren't bigger than he is at the moment. My cursory research had told me they were "reef safe" also. HA!

p.s. Anyone know how best to move a gorgonia to another tank?

[lakehorse61]

I bought 2 for my reef a week ago. i have seen them eating bristle worms. it was really cool. he twisted it until it broke into 2 pieces and then took turns eating each piece.

they seem to cleanup but i will keep an eye on them. i feed well so they shouldnt have to eat corals.

i wish they would eat majano anemones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kgoarmy17]

squiddy- Place a empty bag or w.e into the tank, fill it with enough water to cover all of the gorgonia, twist, tie and move from there. Try not to expose the gorge's to air. Like sponges they can and will die from air xposure(depending on species).

[squiddly]

Thank you very much! that's indeed what I did. I was also told I must glue the base to a rock because burying it in the sand would jsut rot the base. Therefore, this is what I've done.