Arrow crab and future tridacna maxima clams

[jsalonis]

Someone please help...after searching the site for info on Arrow Crabs I am starting to believe that maybe I made a mistake by puttink one in my tank. I have more than my fair share of bristle worms (see attached photos...they're not the best, though, sorry...) and am concerned because from what I can tell the will destroy my soon to be purchased clams. Do I basically need to make a decision between having the clam, or having the cool "bugs" along with the bristle worms (and no clam)? Please help!

p.s. I have a 60gal tank with about 90#s lr, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 sebae, 1 sally lightfoot, 8 rock snails, 1 sand sifter star, 2 yellow tail blue damsels, 1 redleg hermit and about 3 reg hermits.

[Big Dave]

You'll here opinions both ways, but I am glad I never put any hermits or clawed folk into my tank! Some people have no problems, some do. I guess you could always buy 'nice' crabs. If I remember correctly, I didn't think bristle worms would hurt clams. I thought they would only go after decaying flesh. Someone else can set us straight for sure, but that's what I remember. HTH

-Big Dave

PS - And Welcome to TRT!!

[jsalonis]

thanks for the welcome and the info! I read in "Natural Reef Aquariums" (John H. Tullock, 1997) that the bristle worms will bore into the mantle of the clams and will kill the clam if there are too many worms in the tank...and mine has what appears to be a lot. Is there any natural predator of the bristle worm that will eat them primarily? I introduced a small Arrow Crab yesterday, and on a side note I noticed after the fact the the crab was missing one leg and one arm (?, the one with a claw), so maybe he will be a short lived denizen of the reef? I am now wondering what, if anything, I can or should do.

[aquaticsdeptleader]

i think i read somewhere about bristles boring into the mantles of the clams but i am not postive please correct me if iam wrong

jim

[aquaticsdeptleader]

sorry guess i should hit refresh more often

jim

[Jeremy1973]

hmm..I have a few friends that have clams, and bristleworms, and they have had their clams for quite some time. I do know they go after the dying clam, but never heard (knock on wood) of them going after a healthy one. But this is my 2 cents.

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Well I have never had the experience with a arrow crab and a clam set-up. Bristle worms are an important part of your infauna. My gut feeling is bristle worms won't bother a healthy clam.
As far as an arrow crab that I had in a 72 gallon bow front was I cam home and it was hovered over a sea urchin and pulling all the spines out of it. It was a shock to see!!
I would think a healthy clam would close up quite fast for an arrow crab to get at it but harrassment of the clam could affect the clam. Maybe others will answer if they have had direct experience with a arrow clam and a clam.

[Harpo]

When we first got started in this hobby, we had two ARROWS. My exsperience with them, was that they seemed to be preditors as well as scavengers. I have seen them munching on both snails and hermits, not to mention each other. One actually killed the other.

Harpo

[jsalonis]

I know that if there are two or more in the tank the larger will kill and eat the smaller of the two. I am just worried that the bristleworms will kill the clam(s). Now that I am back home I can't find the Arrow Crab...and I found out that he/she will grow back the missing limbs...I can't seem to win here. The shop reccomended the crab to eat the worms in order to be able to keep the clam(s).

[CodeToad]

I decided that my tank is ready for a clam after much success with everything else, so I bought a beautiful Maxmia, after reading this thread and noticing my Red Leg Hermit Crabs on the shell of the clam, I am wondering if it is going to be a problem. If it is, I will remove of the hermits, please let me know.

[CodeToad]

Here is a picture of the clam the day I put him in the tank, so he isn't open fully.

Please let me know asap, I'm getting worried about these hermits, It wont be a problem to move them to my mothers tank if they are going to harm my clam.

[CodeToad]

Okay, I re-located them to my old 6 gallon eclipse that I have set up for situations just like this. If you all agree that its fine to mix the hermits and the clam I will put them back in. I'm pretty sure they all weren't hanging around on his shell saying 'hey nice to meet you', the only thing I can assume other than it was about to be a snack is that his shell may have had interesting little things on it for the hermits to eat, but sounds like a risk I wasnt willing to take.

[jsalonis]

I was under the impression that the hermit crab was a scavenger and eater of detritus and what not. My concern was for the arrow crab and the more desirable worms and such vs. having bristle worms in a tank with clams.

[CodeToad]

See you may be right, i just wanted to be sure so my clam isnt a shell only tommorow morning. Once I find out for sure I can easily put the crabs back in my tank if they wont hurt my clam.

[Doug1]

All crabs are opportunistic feeders I would take my chances with the bristle worms before crabs, even hermits