"Guess what?" usually ends badly.......

Flightpipe · 05/14/2008, 08:46 PM

So I come home tonight and my girlfriend has decided to surprise me with a new arrow crab already in the damn tank!!!!!! IMO he is a large one. of course i was "o thanks..............i love it" Ect but i am concerned that he is big and has pretty big claws. I have read a bit on and they say reef safe with caution so i am a lil worried.

Does anyone have one of these or any opinions on them?

jamest0o0 · 05/14/2008, 09:09 PM

like all crabs they are oppurtunistic, I'd watch out especially with a large one.

Flightpipe · 05/14/2008, 09:15 PM

I think i may try to catch him and switch it out with a smaller one maybe she wont notice........

kenbow19 · 05/14/2008, 09:42 PM

Has he been named yet? If so you may be in trouble

phunkie99 · 05/14/2008, 09:53 PM

watch this... you may want to get it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYx4pcj06xw

rjsilvers · 05/14/2008, 10:35 PM

Wow your girlfriend not only buys you stuff from the LFS but she knows how to acclimate invertebrates? That's a great girlfriend.

Nano Chris · 05/15/2008, 03:10 AM

Id sneak it back to the lfs, than when ur gf asks wheres the crab? Just say it might have died or something, ask if you can get something else...nicely.

Or you could tell her the truth....

Freed · 05/15/2008, 03:31 AM

You do need to get it out but please don't be rude to her. She was only trying to do something nice for you and I'm sure she thought you would enjoy/appreciate it. Tell her you are grateful for the kind thought but that some of your studying up on them shows that they will kill fish and other critters in the tank and that it would be best to take it back but then let her pick its replacement.

JoeMomma · 05/15/2008, 06:54 AM

Put it in her bed at night and surprise her like she did with you

jimwat · 05/15/2008, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by phunkie99
watch this... you may want to get it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYx4pcj06xw

In the crabs defense, the first fish could have been mostly dead when he got there. And he never actually attacked any of the other fish (on the video). One of the main reasons that I have crabs in my tank is to eat dead things.

Freed · 05/15/2008, 08:32 AM

Arrow crabs are known predators of shrimp, fish, etc.

Flightpipe · 05/15/2008, 08:40 AM

OK the vid has me creeped out THANKS! I like the put it in her bed the best. I am afraid that it is gonna need to come out I'm sure they are nice crabs but he is big ill get a pic up Im tempted to leave it since i read it eats bristle worms

Freed · 05/15/2008, 08:45 AM

Do what you got to do but the very first Google entry I see says they are opportunistic. What more convincing do you need?

jimwat · 05/15/2008, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Freed
Arrow crabs are known predators of shrimp, fish, etc.

Same as Sallys and Emeralds.

jimwat · 05/15/2008, 09:01 AM

I would consider any animal that feeds on dead things an opportunistic feeder.

Flightpipe · 05/15/2008, 09:09 AM

Dooly · 05/15/2008, 10:24 AM

I had an arrow crab in a 30g tank with a fire shrimp, cleaner shrimp, and emerald crab. None of them ever bothered each other and the arrow crab loved to eat everything and especially liked to eat Spectrum pellets for some reason.

Was very amusing to watch him go crazy when I fed pellets until the day I woke up and saw his claws sticking out of a rose anemone

GoingPostal · 05/15/2008, 10:43 AM

Mine was huge and never bothered any of the fish but did catch him ripping hermits out of their shells and eating them, in his defense my cleaner shrimp did the same thing, I didn't really mind, just didn't buy more hermits. They are awesome to look at.

Aquarist007 · 05/15/2008, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JoeMomma
Put it in her bed at night and surprise her like she did with you

you could tell her----nope not even going to go there

jamest0o0 · 05/15/2008, 02:04 PM

Why would you want something to kill bristleworms they are good!

Flightpipe · 05/15/2008, 02:08 PM

I have one monster bristle worm and he is my nemesis i cannot catch him so maybe i can train my arrow crab to attack.

petoonia · 05/15/2008, 02:29 PM

I would encourage your girlfriend to research any future suprises she migt want to add to your tank without your knowledge. It is a sweet gesture, but the results could have been much worse if she had added something unsuitable for a reef tank.

I would tell her you did a little bit of reading about the crab, and it turns out it could do more harm than good. I would also explain that it is best to discuss any new additions to the tank before they are put in the tank. I would also tell her not to trust the info an LFS employee gives her at the store.

Skeptic_07 · 05/15/2008, 02:57 PM

i dumped the last girl that gave me crabs

Pulp Fishin · 05/15/2008, 05:22 PM

Kinda reminds me of the CSI where they pick up a Jack Dempsey(Cichlid of soem kind) and bring it to his girlfriends tank.
She was a collector of rare tropical fish and before they know somthing was wrong the Dempsey had killed $4000 worth of fish!

05/14/2008, 08:46 PM	#1
Flightpipe Sea Turtles Love Me...... Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pensacola, FL. Posts: 745	"Guess what?" usually ends badly....... So I come home tonight and my girlfriend has decided to surprise me with a new arrow crab already in the damn tank!!!!!! IMO he is a large one. of course i was "o thanks..............i love it" Ect but i am concerned that he is big and has pretty big claws. I have read a bit on and they say reef safe with caution so i am a lil worried. Does anyone have one of these or any opinions on them? __________________ "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." Current Tank Info: 29 BC Reef

05/14/2008, 09:09 PM	#2
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	like all crabs they are oppurtunistic, I'd watch out especially with a large one. __________________ Planning on new tank, been about 5-6 years since I've been in the hobby

05/14/2008, 09:15 PM	#3
Flightpipe Sea Turtles Love Me...... Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pensacola, FL. Posts: 745	I think i may try to catch him and switch it out with a smaller one maybe she wont notice........ __________________ "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." Current Tank Info: 29 BC Reef

05/14/2008, 09:42 PM	#4
kenbow19 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: MI Posts: 89	Has he been named yet? If so you may be in trouble __________________ 180 sps dominated. Current Tank Info: 180- sps dominent

05/15/2008, 03:10 AM	#7
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	Id sneak it back to the lfs, than when ur gf asks wheres the crab? Just say it might have died or something, ask if you can get something else...nicely. Or you could tell her the truth.... __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!

05/14/2008, 09:53 PM	#5
phunkie99 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 537	watch this... you may want to get it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYx4pcj06xw

05/14/2008, 10:35 PM	#6
rjsilvers Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 537	Wow your girlfriend not only buys you stuff from the LFS but she knows how to acclimate invertebrates? That's a great girlfriend.

05/15/2008, 03:31 AM	#8
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	You do need to get it out but please don't be rude to her. She was only trying to do something nice for you and I'm sure she thought you would enjoy/appreciate it. Tell her you are grateful for the kind thought but that some of your studying up on them shows that they will kill fish and other critters in the tank and that it would be best to take it back but then let her pick its replacement. __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

05/15/2008, 06:54 AM	#9
JoeMomma Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 619	Put it in her bed at night and surprise her like she did with you

05/15/2008, 08:32 AM	#11
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	Arrow crabs are known predators of shrimp, fish, etc. __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

05/15/2008, 08:40 AM	#12
Flightpipe Sea Turtles Love Me...... Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pensacola, FL. Posts: 745	OK the vid has me creeped out THANKS! I like the put it in her bed the best. I am afraid that it is gonna need to come out I'm sure they are nice crabs but he is big ill get a pic up Im tempted to leave it since i read it eats bristle worms __________________ "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." Current Tank Info: 29 BC Reef

05/15/2008, 08:45 AM	#13
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	Do what you got to do but the very first Google entry I see says they are opportunistic. What more convincing do you need? __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

05/15/2008, 09:01 AM	#15
jimwat Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: South Florida Posts: 1,270	I would consider any animal that feeds on dead things an opportunistic feeder. __________________ "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day and drink beer." Current Tank Info: 65 gal with 192w PC 10k, 192w VHO actinic, Blue-Moon LED, Tunze 6060 on WavySea, AquaController 3. 20gal sump, Natureef CDECX-1, Phosban Reactor, Remora, Kalk Drip, Ozone.

05/15/2008, 09:09 AM	#16
Flightpipe Sea Turtles Love Me...... Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pensacola, FL. Posts: 745	__________________ "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." Current Tank Info: 29 BC Reef

05/15/2008, 10:24 AM	#17
Dooly Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Southern California Posts: 2,108	I had an arrow crab in a 30g tank with a fire shrimp, cleaner shrimp, and emerald crab. None of them ever bothered each other and the arrow crab loved to eat everything and especially liked to eat Spectrum pellets for some reason. Was very amusing to watch him go crazy when I fed pellets until the day I woke up and saw his claws sticking out of a rose anemone

05/15/2008, 10:43 AM	#18
GoingPostal Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,517	Mine was huge and never bothered any of the fish but did catch him ripping hermits out of their shells and eating them, in his defense my cleaner shrimp did the same thing, I didn't really mind, just didn't buy more hermits. They are awesome to look at. __________________ Most people don't realize that large pieces of coral, which have been painted brown and attached to the skull by common wood screws, can make a child look like a deer. *Jack Handey

05/15/2008, 02:04 PM	#20
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	Why would you want something to kill bristleworms they are good! __________________ Planning on new tank, been about 5-6 years since I've been in the hobby

05/15/2008, 02:08 PM	#21
Flightpipe Sea Turtles Love Me...... Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pensacola, FL. Posts: 745	I have one monster bristle worm and he is my nemesis i cannot catch him so maybe i can train my arrow crab to attack. __________________ "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." Current Tank Info: 29 BC Reef

05/15/2008, 02:29 PM	#22
petoonia HereWeGoAgain... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,648	I would encourage your girlfriend to research any future suprises she migt want to add to your tank without your knowledge. It is a sweet gesture, but the results could have been much worse if she had added something unsuitable for a reef tank. I would tell her you did a little bit of reading about the crab, and it turns out it could do more harm than good. I would also explain that it is best to discuss any new additions to the tank before they are put in the tank. I would also tell her not to trust the info an LFS employee gives her at the store. __________________ I've been in the hobby for about 10 years....(so I know a little bit)...(but not all that much).... Current Tank Info: 58G. Oceanic (Starphire). Mixed Reef

05/15/2008, 02:57 PM	#23
Skeptic_07 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: lawn guy land Posts: 1,418	i dumped the last girl that gave me crabs

05/15/2008, 05:22 PM	#24
Pulp Fishin Were all mad here. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Ontario Canada Posts: 608	Kinda reminds me of the CSI where they pick up a Jack Dempsey(Cichlid of soem kind) and bring it to his girlfriends tank. She was a collector of rare tropical fish and before they know somthing was wrong the Dempsey had killed $4000 worth of fish! __________________ Reef Central Corner Club Aquarium Dumpster Diver Extraordinaire Money talks, mine says "Good-Bye" Current Tank Info: RIP:60g Pentagon Reef 100lbs LR 20g Sump Deltec Mce 600 Mag 750 250W Metal Halide & 2x39W T5's Phosban ReactorX2 5gal refugium 36xTO RIP:135G FOWLER /Agressive