Reef Tank Compatibility

[macman7010]

I just added 3 small - about 1/4 of an inch queen conch's and 1 Arrow Crab to my reef. The guy at the lfs assured me all this stuff was reef safe but suddenly a few stalks of my pulsing xenia are missing tops. That is the first time that has happened. Do you think the conch or crab is to blame?

 

[ellisz]

xenia was the first thing my "reef safe" emerald crab went after. Not real familiar with the arrow though.

 

[oceandelight]

I bought an arrow crab because it was one of the coolest things i had seen when i was diving but then i did a lot of research on them and they can eat/bother a lot of things from snails, hermits, bristle worms, feather duster, brittle stars, small fish, ect. but they also said that arrow crabs are very much individuals and some won't do anything and some will be destructive. Mine so far has been an angle and he is becoming rather big. they said that when they are bigger they are more destructive. The only thing i have seen mine eat other then the frozen squid i feed him every other day is one dying/dead snail that i think my blue leg hermit crabs killed for his shell. at the moment i only have one piece of coral in my tank but it is still alive and healthy and I have tons of Christmas tree worms and feather duster and they are still fine. i have anemones, hermit crabs, other assorted crabs, brittle stars and other assorted things and everything seems to not be bothered by him. So i guess i would just keep an eye on him and keep him pretty well fed and he probably won’t touch anything.

i don't know much about queen conchs but i do know that a lot of the conchs that exists are carnivores i had not in my tank but in a tank at work a crown conch, olive snail, Florida fighting conch, and a lighting welk and they would go crazy when i would put frozen squid in the tank. The lightening welk and olive snail who u usually don't seen cuz they cover themselves would pop right up and move faster then i though a snail should go. so i guess i would place more money on the conch if it is a carnivore. i HTH

 

[mastershake]

i hope you have a very large aquarium, did your lfs tell you that queen conchs can grow to be 10 inches , thats a big snail, im not sure how fast they grow, but its soemthing to consider

 

[mastershake]

oh, and after a quick google, i found this "Diet: Conches eat grasses, algae, and floating organic debris. They eat using a radula, a rough tongue-like organ that has thousands of tiny denticles (tooth-like protrusions)."


maybe that will help find out who ate your xenia

 

[Jason]

yeah, Im not to sure how reef safe either of them are....... especially the conch.

 

[macman7010]

Its hard to say, I am thinking about removing both species since its not worth risking any more polyps over. So far I have observed the conches eating mainly algae. I know some magazines have recommended this species as a good algae grazer but who knows.

 

[StripesTheEel]

i'd say take the crab out first... but if ure really not satisfied with both..get rid of them...

i think the crab is the culprit..!

 

[lando]

I do not consider the arrow crab reef-safe at all.