The Truth About Arrow Crabs.

[Lev F.]

I've long wanted to know the truth about these strange inverts. Everyone says they're "Not Reef-Safe." What does this mean? Do they eat corals, or are they predatory on fish? How do you know they exhibit these behaviors? Have you kept one before, how was it? There are so many unanswered questions about Stenorhynchus seticornis that I am completely mis/uninformed about these strange creatures. Please feel free to add your experiences to help clear things up.
Thanks in Advance.
Lev.

 

[godlyme]

ive seen one catch a fire fish and break it in half and eat it. true story.

 

[dc]

Well everyone I know that's ever had one has brought it back to the store when it got big and agressive.

 

[Mr. Guitar]

I have one in my 55 gallon reef tank. It hasn't bothered a thing. Well, at first it tried to pick on my feather duster but I hit it and it hasn't touched it since. It hasn't bothered any fish, coral, or any invertebrate in my tank.

 

[the3kgt2]

mine died 2 weeks ago. THANK GOD. i caught it eating my skunk shrimp. all of my inverts mysteriously died too. i ordered 70 more inverts now that he's gone.

 

[squiddly]

Count me as one who gave mine away. He kills snails and munches them happily, picks at my corals, steals krill from anemones, and generally is a total pest.

 

[Kgoarmy17]

Killed all my hermits, alot of my snails. One night I while watching my tank with a red lens on a small flashlight. SOB speared a YWG, I acted fast but the damage was done.

Crabs gone, YWG RIP, and I will never have another one.

 

[slumpysix]

I had one for about a week and then noticed something had busted him up and he was spread across the sand. Maybe my clarkie or hippo tang did it. It didn't seem like an agressive beast but kinda frail.

 

[squiddly]

Arrow Crabs - the "other" white meat....

 

[Sk8r]

He is a predator. Bristleworms aren't. I'd just rather the worms.

 

[VINH_XUAN]

Also to those who keep sea horses, I witness at LFS a arrow crab, which is only 1/5 size of the sea horse, drag the half eaten SH around the tank

 

[Freed]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8321750#post8321750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kgoarmy17
Killed all my hermits, alot of my snails. One night I while watching my tank with a red lens on a small flashlight. SOB speared a YWG, I acted fast but the damage was done.

Crabs gone, YWG RIP, and I will never have another one.

What is a YWG?

 

[Kgoarmy17]

Yellow Watchman Goby

 

[Freed]

Ahha, got it.

 

[lakehorse61]

i have had 2 of them for about a month in my 200 reef. i have seem them eat one bristel worm and pick at the live rock but never a coral or hermit or snail.

i will keep an eye on them. i like them alot. they are very entertaining.

 

[Me No Nemo]

I had one that completely distroyed a thriving dendronepthia...overnight. Figures, I finally get one to grow and do well and there it went. They are definitely NOT reef safe in my opinion.

 

[DonavonsReef]

I have had mine for two years in a fully stocked reef tank with acans, blastos, nasarius snails, hermits, clownfish.
Mine never bothers a thing just scavenges & eates food that falls to the bottom.