Spider Decorator Crab Help

[lovemyeel]

I wanted information on the Spider decorator crab. What they'll harm or not harm other inverts, fish, clams, corals so on. Keep in mind i have a 75 Gallon with lots of xenia a few polyps, frogspawn, ghost chalice, plate coral, huge goniopora colony, and a maxima clam.The decorator i have is about 3 inches in diameter, right now i have him separated from the tank but don't want to get rid of him without more info. I bought him out of pure excitement. I'm looking for experience or facts not an opinion really I'm just trying to justify keeping him, but as much info as possible would be appreciated.

 

[Monkeyfish]

He may tear up some of the coral for his camo and most crabs are omnivorous. They love to take zoas and macros and glue them to themselves. Cool animal, but can wreck a tank. I removed mine after he started tearing through some zoa and xenia.

 

[finsurgeon]

I had one for about a year in my 215 mixed reef. He tore up colonies of zoanthids and some blue sponge and once looked great wearing my pink carnation coral, until I finally had enough and moved him to my son's fish only with live rock tank. I never saw him hurt or attack any other invert or any fish, and I watched him often in the middle of the night when he was active and the fish were asleep. He might crawl right over a sleeping fish, but never showed any interest.

 

[Melissafish]

I love mine but def wouldn't keep him in a tank with prized corals. Hes in my fowlr tank and I give him macro algae to wear. Hes awesome

 

[Mranderson]

@finsurgeon . Your saying you've literally seen him crawl over fish? What kind/size? I just plopped one of these guys in a nano with a citron goby and an azure. Weary as of yet.. Gave him a chunk of squid to eat. But as he was taking his time and it was sticking to his legs my azure was trying to tail slap him and steal the food on his leg. The crab sorta reared up to make himself bigger and he swiped at him. (My goby also tried to sit on him which was pretty funny) It seemed like a slow manner, sorta, but I think either one of my fish would be toast tucked away at night.

 

[finsurgeon]

Yes, every size and shape of sleeping fish or right over inverts of all kinds. Mine was eventually torn to pieces by an "anemone hermit crab" that coexisted with him for 6-8 weeks in my son's tank (hermit active by day and decorator almost invisible and still in the day but active at night.) Hermit much speedier and stronger and mean. My opinion is that the decorator will not harm the fish. But zoas and softies and sponges, etc are fair game. Here he is wearing some pink carnation.

 

[shrimpgal]

My decorator crab has totally stripped his tank and it was loaded with caulerpa and xenia
He is now pulling up the last of the caulerpa
The rocks are bare and before you could not see the rocks

 

[fishfreak2009]

I have 2 of these in with my fish and they've never bothered them or the shrimp. 2 camel shrimp and a coral banded shrimp. Also have an electric blue hermit, and 2 african knobbed starfish and no problems with any of them.

 

[Calappidae]

Lost a scooter blenny and yellow angelfish to one of these crabs. He was a model citizen for the first few weeks then went on a killing spree.

 

[Mpy]

I have a pair(male&female) and while they have never been an issue with fish, they do love the taste of snails, and have taken out a few hermit crabs too. They did completely strip all the sponge I had on a rock off to decorate themselves with... so now they are in my sump.

oh... and they have had at least one baby.

 

[cyricdark]

Just Had a 1.5" maroon clown dissappear in a 29 gallon with decorator crab only other thing big enough to eat him in the tank. Guess he's going in the nano tank with the hairy leg hermit LFS also told me was peaceful...