Did I make a mistake?

[reefbound]

Hey all I just recieved my invert package and all looks great but I have a question.
Since I have no luck keeping a Coral banded shrimp alive I asked to have a Arrow crab instead...was this a mistake does anyone have experience with one? Im just wondering what I should watch for.TIA...

 

[austinsdad]

If you got featherdusters, they might be in trouble. I had one once and in 2 consecutive days, I saw it eating a cleaner shrimp and a hermit crab. Now.... he may have found a couple of dead ones since this was the early days of my tank, but I did return mine.

 

[Hara]

Other than the fact it can and will spear, eat small fish...np at all.
http://www.fantasyreef.com/database/index.php?p=getitem&db_id=1&item_id=28

 

[reefbound]

This isnt looking to promising...If anything disappears Ill know. I thought about this hoping it would take care of some of the bristle worms in there...

 

[austinsdad]

Isn't there a wrasse for that?

 

[reefbound]

Isn't there a wrasse for that?

I do have a Sixline but he never touches the stuff... And my next step is to go hunting myself...

 

[roka64]

I haven't had any problems w/bristle worms, they are pretty good as moving some sand and eating food that is left over on the substrate.

 

[Fluff]

Keep the arrow fed and you should be ok. Not sure why you'd want to get rid of the bristleworms but the arrown may help with that.

 

[reefbound]

Keep the arrow fed and you should be ok. Not sure why you'd want to get rid of the bristleworms but the arrown may help with that.

my tank is infested with them...everywhere you look night or day...I just want to thin the population I have already reduced the amount of food.

 

[roka64]

They should starve if the pop gets too big, kinda like supply and demand....

 

[Fluff]

my tank is infested with them...everywhere you look night or day...I just want to thin the population I have already reduced the amount of food.

That will help but it will take time. They sell commercial traps for bristleworms you could try. There is also a homemade trap someone told me about where you use a knee-hi stocking and a soda bottle. I've never tried it so I can't say if it works but may be worth trying. You put the stocking inside the bottle and roll the top down over the top of the bottle. Secure with a rubberband. Place a piece of shrimp/food in the bottom of it and lay it on it's side in the tank. The bristleworm supposedly will go inside and it's bristles will get snagged in the nylon so it can't get back out.

 

[reefbound]

that diy way seems like a good plan which I will try tonight... hmmm,, now to convince the wife why I need one of her stockings....

 

[Gatorfreak]

I've witnessed my orange-spotted shrimp goby yank a bristle worm out of the sand and gobble him up. The worm was about as long as the fish.