horseshoe crab are they ok in a reef

[scottd]

i just got a horseshoe crab it's burrows around in the sand is it eating the sand bed are they ok are they safe for the sand bed

 

[slimy]

Bad bad bad!
From what I understand, these creatures will eat pretty much everything in your sandbed. Also, they get to be well over a foot long, in the off chance it actually suvives to adulthood in your tank. Always research the creature before youbuy it!

 

[Barry]

Altogh I have had no personal experiences with one, I have heard that they are bad in a reef tank, and even worse for the sand bed.

Sorry....

 

[scottd]

anymore Ad

 

[SeaView]

Bring it back to LFS.

 

[Yellowboy]

I hava had a horseshoe crab before and had to end up giving it a dedicated tank. The prob is they are used to slightly lower temps so you need to keep the tank at like 78 and they eat everything. If its alive in your sand it wont be long. Also they arent bright and get caught in the rockwork, they live naturally in LARGE areas of sand with little rocks. mine doubled in size in the 6 months i had it. It has many disadvantages but aint they cool looking?

 

[bowfront]

Ditto to all of the above. He will clean out your sand bed and then die. There isn't enough food in a typical reef tank to keep one of these going for too long. They used to be marketed as good sand movers but I don't see them much in the LFS's here any more (fortunately). Another animal that should be left alone in the ocean IMO.

 

[SPC]

And I'll second that ditto!
Steve

 

[scottd]

aaa aaa

 

[tazdevil]

I watched one attack a coral beauty while it was distracted eating at a LFS. Surprisingly fast, and, before anyone could do anything about it, it had made a long gash in the C.B. I don't know if he lived much longer, but wasn't looking good when I left the LFS. (BTW, the crab earned isolation in a 20 gallon tank, and he was still there a year later, with a label strip saying "meaner than you'd think" on the tank!).