Will an emerald crab eat...

[jeffnewt]

Will an emerald crab eat Halimedia or Sargassum? And also, if I allready have a banded coral shrimp in the tank, is one going to kill the other?

 

[returnofsid]

I've had several Emerald Crabs, including 2 in my 75 right now. My Halimedia grows like crazy and I never see them touching it. In fact, nothing touches it...lol. In my 46, I've got a Coral Banded Shrimp, a Sally Lightfoot and 2 Emerald Crabs. Never had any issues.

 

[jeffnewt]

what about aptasia? that would be awsome if it could take down a few of those bastards...

 

[dnjan]

Agree with returnofsid - I don't think anything eats halimedia.

With halimedia's ability to suck-down your CA-level, I considerit a nuisance algae.

 

[returnofsid]

Don is correct that it really does require a lot of Calcium. I've removed a lot of it from my 46 since I don't really dose the CA in that tank as I should, being as how it's mainly a soft and LPS tank. However, in my 75, I do dose CA, Alk and Mg. The Halimedia in that tank is going nuts and I cull about half of it on a regular basis. It can also over grow corals and shade them to the point where it needs to be trimmed back or can have ill effects on your corals. However, with all these negative points, I do like the look of it so I put up with it and cut it back when needed.

 

[jeffnewt]

Good to know, right now, its just a little bit and I will probably cut it back soon. I was thinking off trying to cultivate the harvested cuttings some in a non-heated bowl or something on the bathroom counter and just change the water out with old water once in a while.

I was warned that as far as the crab goes, if it doesn't behave its hard as hell to get the little bastards back out of the rock again. As long as he doesn't mess with my corals and hermit crabs I guess it should b ok. I need to start him out in the sump though, I have an outbreak of hair algea down there, but also cheato that I don't want him to bother, is that going to work?