Do arrow crabs eat berghia nudibranchs?

[Bugenar]

I have a 65 gallon tank and I have an arrow crab that’s about 4-5 inches long, I also have a terrible aiptasia problem that seems to double every night. The clear choice is berghia nudibranchs as I have a full infestation, but will the arrow crab eat them? I kinda don’t want to get rid of the arrow, but if it means having a clean tank, so be it…

 

[KrisReef]

Shrimp and crabs and wrasse fish are almost certainly going to eat Berghia went they meet up.

 

[Bugenar]

Shrimp and crabs and wrasse fish are almost certainly going to eat Berghia went they meet up.

But I already have the arrow crab and 3 emerald crabs in the tank? What can I do?

 

[KrisReef]

But I already have the arrow crab and 3 emerald crabs in the tank? What can I do?

Trade them for Berghia or get a Copperband butterfly to eat the Aiptasia

 

[Bugenar]

Trade them for Berghia or get a Copperband butterfly to eat the Aiptasia

The arrow crab will really eat the berghias? To tell you the truth, that honestly sucks, I don't want to get rid of it at all. It was one of the first inverts we added...

 

[Reef Puncher]

The arrow crab will really eat the berghias? To tell you the truth, that honestly sucks, I don't want to get rid of it at all. It was one of the first inverts we added...

im in the same boat. what did you do?

 

[Tahoe61]

Arrow crabs most certainly will, and everything else it can. Arrow crabs get large and they are constantly hungry.

 

[Bugenar]

im in the same boat. what did you do?

We’re getting rid of it. It just molted and grew an extra inch. Pretty sure it is eating the nudibranchs as we introduced 3 about 2 months ago, haven’t seen them since, and haven’t noticed any breeding population. So something is eating them and it’s most likely the arrow since literally all it does all day is scavenge, and nudis are actually very active when the lights are off so chances are it got eaten

 

[Bugenar]

We’re getting rid of it. It just molted and grew an extra inch. Pretty sure it is eating the nudibranchs as we introduced 3 about 2 months ago, haven’t seen them since, and haven’t noticed any breeding population. So something is eating them and it’s most likely the arrow since literally all it does all day is scavenge, and nudis are actually very active when the lights are off so chances are it got eaten

Immediately after I sent this, we saw a gigantic nudibranch about 2 inches long, definitely been there a while. Could be apart of the original 3 we added, but we’re unsure since we just added 5 from the sump… it was pretty large though. If this is true then the arrow crab seems to be totally safe lol

 

[Bugenar]

im in the same boat. what did you do?

Little update, we found a lot of Nudibranchs in the tank and the Arrow crab just lets them be, the nudis just walk up to it and everything. Just make sure you feed your arrow plenty of brine shrimp and make sure it gets in the rocks. Then it will be perfectly content with everything. Keep in mind the Arrow gets a LOT of bad rep.

 

[Bugenar]

I would say if your arrow is attacking corals or any hermit crabs, it’s probably best to get rid of it. For some reason the really aggressive ones seem to attack corals, hermits, and smaller fish. Yet mine seems completely peaceful. This could be because after a botched molt, I’ve made sure it’s gotten plenty of food. I’ve heard really 50/50 things about this crab and buying the berghias was a huge, and very expensive gamble. Also introduced a decorator arrow crab, and that is also completely peaceful amongst berghias and other tank mates.

Ik I’m yapping but these creatures get horrible rep and trying to research this topic was a nightmare. You just gotta know your crab I guess and how it behaves in your tank.

 

[Reef Puncher]

I would say if your arrow is attacking corals or any hermit crabs, it’s probably best to get rid of it. For some reason the really aggressive ones seem to attack corals, hermits, and smaller fish. Yet mine seems completely peaceful. This could be because after a botched molt, I’ve made sure it’s gotten plenty of food. I’ve heard really 50/50 things about this crab and buying the berghias was a huge, and very expensive gamble. Also introduced a decorator arrow crab, and that is also completely peaceful amongst berghias and other tank mates.

Ik I’m yapping but these creatures get horrible rep and trying to research this topic was a nightmare. You just gotta know your crab I guess and how it behaves in your tank.

my arrow leaves all my corals alone. sometimes he walks on them which irritates them, but so what. i like him. i just wish i could see him eating the bristleworms i have. ive never actually seen him eat them

 

[volkzima]

I have a huge Arrow Crab (at least 7') and it was the only thing in my tank besides blue legs and snails, and I had a huge Aiptasia issue about 4 months ago (like thousands in my 65g) - I purchased 3 Berghia's and put in tank - for the next month I never saw them and never saw an approvement. Thinking the Arrow ate them, I bought 3 more to breed and had them in a breeding tank for week's waiting on the eggs to hatch and grow. Then I noticed from the stain of eggs I threw into my sump from the 1st batch, hatched and there were adults roaming around. I started moving them into the main tank but then the next I noticed there were a lot more adults in the tank than I added. The original 3 survived and had been laying eggs and now there were more adults. My large Arrow never touched them; I have seen them walk right in front of him and never took interest. I guess we picked a good one as he has never touched another animal in the tank (yet). I have seen my small cardinals swim through his legs, and he does even care.