Arrow crab! And best CUC for hair algae??

[Shoki]

Hello everyone!! Added an arrow crab to my tank today. He seems to be acclimating well! I bought him to help with bristle worm populations. This guy is pretty small. Any concerns I should watch for in the future? How quickly do they grow? I had a friend tell me in the past they “only eat bristle worms” but read they’ll eat anything meaty, including small fish. I do have a clown goby and juvenile ruby dragonette. Also, what is a good invertebrate that will eat hair algae?? I have hermits, blue and red leg, Nassarius and Nerite snail. I also have a LARGE fighting conch, and a pincushion urchin. My conch eats algae on the glass (????) and my urchin eats algae on the glass and whatever bugs end up in the tank at night. (i don’t know why he likes to eat the bugs. He even eats them alive before I can remove them. I live in the south and they’re attracted to my light, lol.)

 

[Formulator]

I don’t have experience with the crab, but for the hair algae, your pincushion should be your main work-horse. How long have you had it?

Also, trochus, and turbo snails are best for rock clean-up IMO. The snails you have now are sand dwellers for the most part. Was nerite a typo? I thought that was a freshwater snail…

 

[Shoki]

I’ve had my pincushion urchin for almost two years but he has been in this tank for 6 months. I’ve never had a hair algae problem in this tank before and previously in my other tank he never touched the hair algae. and I have no idea what is up with his obsession with bugs. lol. Also yes i have two types of snail, Nassaruis being a sand-dwelling carnivorous snail. And a SINGLE nerite snail. And no, my nerite snail isn’t freshwater. i’ve also had him for a year. I believe nerite snails are similar to mollys where they can live in freshwater and saltwater. I only have hair algae because I left the light on when i went on vacation for a week lol!

I don’t have experience with the crab, but for the hair algae, your pincushion should be your main work-horse. How long have you had it?

Also, trochus, and turbo snails are best for rock clean-up IMO. The snails you have now are sand dwellers for the most part. Was nerite a typo? I thought that was a freshwater snail

 

[Formulator]

Interesting! I never knew that about nerites. I just know I had them in my old freshwater tank. How big is your tank? Trochus do great with hair algae if its not too long yet. You want an army of them though, depending on tank size.

 

[Shoki]

Interesting! I never knew that about nerites. I just know I had them in my old freshwater tank. How big is your tank? Trochus do great with hair algae if its not too long yet. You want an army of them though, depending on tank size.

37 gallon! But i’m downgrading to a 15 gallon for college. I want to keep as many of my current inhabitants as possible. I’ve had those snails before but they always die!! what is an adequate group size?

 

[Formulator]

37 gallon! But i’m downgrading to a 15 gallon for college. I want to keep as many of my current inhabitants as possible. I’ve had those snails before but they always die!! what is an adequate group size?

Ya they have a big appetite so once they clear out your unwanted algae you will need to give them regular feedings of nori or algae wafers to keep them alive. For a 15 gallon, maybe 5-10 snails. I think I have 30-40 in my 120g.