decorator spider crabs

[jazzyz]

ar ethey reef safe? how about the regular decorator crabs? i bought 2 regular and one spider from this site, it said they wouldnt kill coral but it seems to be picking at my tubipora. will it kill my coral? i also heard they can catch fish, is this true? the spider one is big like 4 inches or so, th e2 regulars are smaller like 1.5"

 

[farslayer]

I don't know about catching fish, but they are only reef safe after they are happy with the amount of decoration on their backs. They will pick at coral until they are happy.

 

[jazzyz]

the corals they pick at will die on their back though right? so they will keep picking as the corals die?

 

[saltn00b]

they are generally not considered reef safe. there are two types, the decorator and spider decorator common in the hobby. I had the spider Decorator in a 75g FOWLR with no problems with fish.

 

[farslayer]

No, the corals won't necessarily die, but rather you'll end up with a crab with some zooanthids growing on his back.

 

[masta man]

I have always wanted one, post some pics.

 

[bizkitpug]

They will continue to pick apart your tank. If things change in your tank, they will keep changing their backs to match.

 

[dragonladylea]

Mine decided that he liked green hair algae and picked every bit he could find, made him look like a big green hairy tarantula! LOL

 

[jazzyz]

so should i take him out? i have xenia, organ and sun coral. he was picking at the tubipora musica. ill get some pics tomorrow for you

 

[quakstar]

this is mine he loves his some zoos but it is really cool at night with the moonlights on he comes out and they are covering him now and they open up when he comes out so he looks like a walking zoo rock i think that is probably what god entended

 

[farslayer]

I wouldn't take him out, just monitor him. If he's causing problems, remove, otherwise, let him be if you really like him.

 

[jazzyz]

so the zoo's survive on his back? the thing is the tubipora he is picking on is brand new as well so i dont know how well it will do trying to acclimate while the crab is all over it. i have him in my QT for now and will wait till the coral looks happy then put him back in. the coral should grow back whatever thecrab takes off right? will th ecrab mess with the polyps of the sun coral?

 

[mar1376]

I have a spider deocorator who loved grape calurpa but then he found some hair alage here is his before and after pic. I need to get more calurpa hopefully he will go back to being mr. greenballs

He is pretty funny though he likes to goto the top of my rocks and jump off.

 

[dragonladylea]

Must be something about Green hair algae they like - here is my decorator "under cover"

 

[rabbit_72]

My hubby has a decorator crab in his tank. There's no corals in there, so he "wears" the substrate.