blue spiny lobster info needed

[largo]

I have someone that is trying to give me a blue spiny lobster that is about 1.5" long. So, I'm sitting here gathering info and came across two site that seem to contradict one another:
This site lists them as peacefule, 1-2",reef safe, safe towards other fish/inverts
Blue Spiny Lobster (Panulirus vesicolor)

This site has them as 14", aggresive towards other tank inhabitants, reef safe with caution.:

FreshMarine.com - Spiny Blue Lobster - Panulirus versicolor - Buy Cheap Spiny Lobsters at Wholesale

whats correct? Anybody have experience with these guys. He's cute but I don't want something messing with fish/snails/crabs or mowing over my corals. 1-2" is ok but 14" - no way!! I don't have clams so I"m fine in that aspect

 

[BigAl07]

I don't know about "Blue" but my purple is way over a year old and maybe about 2 1/2" max. He's "reef safe" with caution because he will attack sleeping/injured fish or other inverts.

 

[drew1]

I once kept a baby spiny lobster (20 years ago) that started at about 3 inches. I released (the aquarium was all native) less than a year later after several molts. He would rearrange the rocks a couple times a week and would eat anything/everything he wanted including arrow crabs, fire worms, brittle stars, etc. He was very destructive - but I don't know if the blue variety have a similar personality.

 

[cbrownfish]

I think you are confusing the "size for sale" in the first link and the full disclosure of "maximum size" in the second link. I would not treat a lobster as completely reef safe......if you have fish in the tank, you will lose sleep at night. Crabs/lobsters become more predatory as they get larger. Their need for food increases and the become more opportunistic. My purple lobster is by himself in my nano and BOY does he attack the food stick when there is a morsel of flesh on it.

 

[AQTCJAK]

I normally have them in predator tanks they eat fish really well

 

[Boomer]

Spiny lobster can be very dangerous to take mates and especially when they are in pre-molt, when they are at their meanest. Lets not forget that that size is head to tail. The can get up to 16 " with the large robust 1st antenna up to another 20 ". So that is 3 feet long. The 1 st antenna is usually 1.3 x the body length. I kept one of these for many years.

The are very smart and destructive. They will and can tear apart a large carpet just to get at the food you may have fed it. They will dabble their front feed on the edge of the oral disk, which ends up contracting and kinda rolls back to the mouth. They will then just reach inside with those pointed feet and start scooping out what ever they feel, food or not. Mine got so big it could hardly turn around in a 55 gal tank. I gave it away when the body length was 10 ". They are more destructive by along shot than so called Red or Purple Reef Lobsters.

I might add that Red or Purple Reef Lobsters not even real Lobsters but at least they are in the same major group. Same thing for the Red Banned Coral Shrimp, which is no shrimp by along shoot but more of a Prawn but not one of those either. But we have just not invented enough names. The Spiny Lobster is neither a lobster or prawn, far form them and in a group all by themselves, know as infraorder Palinuridea. So, it is like calling a Lion the same thing as a Dog I will say they are a fun animal to have just like a large mantis shrimp.

 

[SubRosa]

Spiny lobster can be very dangerous to take mates and especially when they are in pre-molt, when they are at their meanest. Lets not forget that that size is head to tail. The can get up to 16 " with the large robust 1st antenna up to another 20 ". So that is 3 feet long. The 1 st antenna is usually 1.3 x the body length. I kept one of these for many years.

The are very smart and destructive. They will and can tear apart a large carpet just to get at the food you may have fed it. They will dabble their front feed on the edge of the oral disk, which ends up contracting and kinda rolls back to the mouth. They will then just reach inside with those pointed feet and start scooping out what ever they feel, food or not. Mine got so big it could hardly turn around in a 55 gal tank. I gave it away when the body length was 10 ". They are more destructive by along shot than so called Red or Purple Reef Lobsters.

I might add that Red or Purple Reef Lobsters not even real Lobsters but at least they are in the same major group. Same thing for the Red Banned Coral Shrimp, which is no shrimp by along shoot but more of a Prawn but not one of those either. But we have just not invented enough names. The Spiny Lobster is neither a lobster or prawn, far form them and in a group all by themselves, know as infraorder Palinuridea. So, it is like calling a Lion the same thing as a Dog I will say they are a fun animal to have just like a large mantis shrimp.

But on the upside they make a fine meal for you at that size! Pm me for recipes.

 

[Boomer]

I actually thought about eating it

 

[SubRosa]

It's tough to eat an animal you raised yourself. I almost cried when I ate the Rooster that used to follow me around and defend me when I worked on a farm as a kid. But it tasted good enough that I got over it!

John

 

[woolfe]

I have a purple one that has taken quite a liking to my fish. In the last two months it'seaten a gramma, a cardinal, and a sally lightfoot crab. I have to catch it soon!