Invertebrates - Arrow Crab

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Arrow Crab

Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Invertebrates
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about invertebrates.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2051
Printed Date: February 20 2025 at 3:46am
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Topic: Arrow Crab

Posted By: Jared Wood
Subject: Arrow Crab
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 2:41pm

chrisslc came by to share some sand and such yesterday and while he was here he got me thinking about getting an arrow crab.

I have heard mixed reviews: Chris said that his has been a great help with bristle worm management but look at this quote I found on the web

web source wrote:

I raised him from a little bitty arrow crab into this fish-eating monster. Unfortunately after eating all my peppermint shrimp, a mandarin goby and a leopard wrasse, I'm going to have to give him to someone with a larger reef tank.

If you have any experience with these guys please write a note. I am looking to hear your horror stories about arrow crab monsters or maybe you can dispell the monster idea and tell me about a harmonious and gentle arrow crab experience that you once had.

I am particulary interested in knowing if:

an arrow crab will eat large feather dusters
an arrow crab and a coral banded shrimp can coexist in a 210 gallon tank

don't they look cool?!?

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In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth ... then He let it cycle.

Have you read my http://www.jaredwood.com/observations.htm#dinosaur" rel="nofollow - dinosaur theory yet?

Replies:

Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 4:12pm

Jared,

I have had a couple. They definately ate small fish. I could add guppies to my tank and he would catch them right out of the water. He did fine in a 75 gal with a banded coral shrimp. He ate lots of bristle worms, just sat there and slowly ate them while they tried to wiggle away.
I think the only problem with them is that they may do too good of a job cleaning up, and may eat to much stuff. However, in a 210 gall system, I wouldn't worry about it. I say they are safe for dusters and for fish.

And "No", they don't look cool at all. They look frick'n scary.

Adam

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Come to a meeting, they�re fun!

Posted By: chrisslc
Date Posted: March 09 2004 at 4:30pm

SandyReef wrote:

chrisslc came by to share some sand and such yesterday and while he was here he got me thinking about getting an arrow crab.

I have heard mixed reviews: Chris said that his has been a great help with bristle worm management keeps 'em in check from what I can see but not too good a job of cleaning IMO, still have a healthy pop. of worms but look at this quote I found on the web

I have my monster in the tank with two peppermint shrimp, a mandarin goby, and many other cohabitants and have never lost a thing to him. In fact the peppermint's regular territory (and the mandarin's) includes the cave that the arrow keeps to most of the time and I've never seen any aggression, except towards my hand when I reach near him for anything . And I've never seen a larger arrow crab than mine either, including the one in the pic.

see above

I am particulary interested in knowing if:

an arrow crab will eat large feather dusters

not sure on the larger feather dusters, but, as I was saying at your work, it's never touched any of my many smaller type. Or anything else that I can tell (worms excluded).

2. an arrow crab and a coral banded shrimp can coexist in a 210 gallon tank

Dunno there either, I do have a cleaner shrimp but I know the coral banded is more aggressive, but I would think in your big tank they'd be able to avoid each other reasonably well, they both keep to set territories from what I've seen

don't they look cool?!?

I think they look just like the Mayor from Nightmare before Christmas mounted on long agile spider legs, not alot out there freakier IMO.

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Murray, Utah just north of the park.
"It's all the same to the clam" -Shel Silverstein

Posted By: Jared Wood
Date Posted: March 10 2004 at 7:56am

Thanks for the info and experience.

I ment that they look cool when they are the size of a 50 cent piece. I've only seen them about that size. Chris was describing his as being about the size of a dinner plate.

Sometimes I think it would be cool to shrink myself down and scuba in our aquarium, but a dinner plate sized arrow crab could make me have second thoughts!

Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: March 10 2004 at 9:31am

A friend of mine has an arrow crab and BCS in a 30 gallon tank. No problems!

I'd say you're more than safe in a large tank. However, I would expect the peppermint shrimp to be in jeopardy once the arrow crab grows up.

I had a chocolate chip star fish take on a larger arrow crab ---> choc chip ate him up!