Curse that emerald crab!!

[MikeS]

yeah, shrimps and crabs are a gamble....I've "removed" several problem hitchhiker crabs after catching them in the act of feasting on my polyps, I take care of hitchiker crabs on sight now...

I've had problems with blueleg hermits as well....they are no longer members of my tank. I've introduced peppermint shrimps to my reef to control aptasia, only to have them dine on my yellow polyps, they are also no longer welcome inhabitants in my reef.

The only crabs I presently have in my tank (that I'm aware of, I always seem to find the odd hitchhiker every 6 months or so) are 3 scarlet reef hermits. They have been in my tank for about 3 years now, and I have not witnessed any problems from them, but as soon as I even suspect they are becoming problematic, they will be removed as well.

MikeS

 

[Woodstock]

You have me second guessing my crabs now Wit.

 

[H20doctor]

I had a big brown fuzzy crab in my 100 gallon. I would set up my frags and have them all nice and set up on plugs in my live rock.....and by the next day he would push them out and nockem over. What a mess. So one night I decided to get him with a red lens covered flash light and some fresh yummies to tempt him out. I got him to get out of the rock he hid in, but I made the mistake of trying to grab him with my bare hands. Can you say Blood.... ouch... crab 1 me 0 So from that piont on I made peace with him and let him be.

 

[mattj206]

You should add shrimp to your list of evil reef creatures...

My coral banded shrimp tears arms from my tube anemones(sp) chews them and spits them out - for fun!

Not to mention his aggression towards all creatures (killed and ate one of my pair of cleaner shrimp while it was molting...ect...ect..)

Things begining reefers don't know = Cleaner shrimp suk --big time--

They pick at your arm every time you try to do accurate glue work!!!
Also, they steal anything you feed to your corals!!!

Evil -- Coral Banded -- Not Reef Safe--

Shrimp = Also good grilled with garlic BUTTER

 

[randythereefer]

I agree with R/C man. I feed red algae, brown, and green plus formula 1 flake food every day. My emerald crab is well behaved. Of course my peppermint shrimp much prefer flake food to aiptasia. I guess its a trade off. I mean if you weren't hungry would you bother to go after food? It reminds me of those lions with full stomaches on the nature shows. I did however get my emerald crab from aquatic dreams where kevin watched it to see how it behaved. So maybe some people are getting the wrong crabs and some people aren't feeding their tanks enough. I've had shrimp behave badly from underfeeding as well.

 

[Angelscrx]

You should add shrimp to your list of evil reef creatures...

My coral banded shrimp tears arms from my tube anemones(sp) chews them and spits them out - for fun!

Not to mention his aggression towards all creatures (killed and ate one of my pair of cleaner shrimp while it was molting...ect...ect..)

Things begining reefers don't know = Cleaner shrimp suk --big time--

They pick at your arm every time you try to do accurate glue work!!!
Also, they steal anything you feed to your corals!!!

Evil -- Coral Banded -- Not Reef Safe--

Shrimp = Also good grilled with garlic BUTTER

Not all shrimps are bad. I agree on the CB because one killed my Mandarin but the cleaners like the Skunk climbing up your arm is a good thing. He is cleaning your arm. Eating bacteria that could get into the tank. Peppermints are not bad if you spot feed your fish then the Peppermints don't get the food and they go for the aptaisia. I have an emerald crab in my tank and I have never had a problem with it bothering corals.

These animals are all instinct and they do what comes naturally. But like a lion in the jungle if he is fed he won't hunt.

 

[Schottman]

I have an emerald crab and a crab similiar to my emerald crab that is red. they both hang out in my zoos and polyps or GSP but they never seem to bother anything in there. I do think I noticed what might be a bristle worm in a small rock covered with GSP The GSP are not out? Any ideas?

 

[Angelscrx]

I have an emerald crab and a crab similiar to my emerald crab that is red. they both hang out in my zoos and polyps or GSP but they never seem to bother anything in there. I do think I noticed what might be a bristle worm in a small rock covered with GSP The GSP are not out? Any ideas?

Bristle worms won't hurt the polyps. Maybe something else bugged them and they retracted. My Royal Gramma likes to hang out in my GSPs and they don't retract at all when he plays. But you get a hermit crab to walk across them and they are gone.

 

[Schottman]

Kewl,, thanks for the info

 

[Angelscrx]

No problem anytime.