Emerald Crab 100% Reef Safe?

Covey · 01-16-2005, 09:45 AM

I bought a emerald Crab to work on my bubble algae but in its first day in the tank it has been nothing but trouble. It knocked two coral frag off of the super glue. Then last night i came out to check the tank after dark and the damn thing looked to be picking at my coral!!!!! Should I pull this thing or am I misinterpreting what it is doing? :huh: Of course the LFS said "it was a 100% reef safe"

Jason McKenzie · 01-16-2005, 10:43 AM

Crabs will be crabs. It could have been eating algae off the coral. But crabs are unpredictable. I would watch him for a little while longer. If he stays on the one coral and it starts to look bad the I would get ride of it. But ya they will run around knocking stuff over.

somethingfishy · 01-16-2005, 04:22 PM

Just remember nothing is 100% reef safe.

OoNickoC · 01-16-2005, 09:05 PM

Ditto....the only crab ive ever kept longterm are small ones...like scarlet hermits. Most end up doing something they get "punished" for...with exception of an anemone crab and the marshal island electric blues ime.

JohnO · 01-16-2005, 11:10 PM

Covey,

I truly believe that it is a trap to buy animals of any sort to control a perceived problem :-) We ALL do it BTW, but we shouldn't. It's a bit like Pandoras box, you never know what may happen

"Myths are told and songs are chanted,
Full of promptings and suggestions."

"Pandora's heart beat so fast and loud, that it seemed for a moment to drown all other sounds. Should she open the box ? Just then a familiar step outside made her start guiltily. Epimetheus was coming, and she knew he would urge her again to come out, and would prevent the gratification of her curiosity. Precipitately, therefore, she raised the lid to have one little peep before he came in.

Now, Jupiter had malignantly crammed into this box all the diseases, sorrows, vices, and crimes that afflict poor humanity; and the box was no sooner opened, than all these ills flew out, in the guise of horrid little brown-winged creatures, closely resembling moths. These little insects fluttered about, alighting, some upon Epimetheus, who had just entered, and some upon Pandora, *****ing and stinging them most unmercifully. They then flew out through the open door and windows, and fastened upon the merrymakers without, whose shouts of joy were soon changed into wails of pain and anguish."

Sorry :-) Couldn't help myself :-)

John

GraviT · 01-16-2005, 11:26 PM

The only problem I've had with my emerald crabs has been knocking SPS frags over. I finally broke down and epoxied all of my mounted frags to the rocks which seems to have stopped the issue...for now. Here's one of mine making a meal of some hair algae that was trying to grow:

Diver_1298 · 01-17-2005, 11:35 AM

Just had to say that's a nice looking crab, next to what looks like a rose anemone (bubble tip)? My turbo snails in the 20 long tank knock over everything in their path, so I know what a pain that can be. Super glue city

Nice picture.
jim

GraviT · 01-17-2005, 02:23 PM

Thanks! That guy is actually the ugly one of the two that I have. His buddy molted a few weeks ago and is twice his size and is now a flawless green. Of course, that will change in time, but he looks pretty good for now.

Oh, good call on the anemone, it is a Rose BTA.

Covey · 01-19-2005, 10:50 AM

I GUESS it is not eating the coral but it certainly is a bull in the china shop. Last night right before I went to sleep I checked the tank with a flashlight only to discover that one of my coral frag were missing!!! I ended up tearing down half of my live rock to get the coral frag that settled all the way at the bottom back wall. When I tried to put the rock all back were it was it of course didn't stay up. And I had to try to reposition all of the rock with out crushing any. I got everything back together and found a small whole and filled it with super glue and stuck the frag in there. Hopefully the crab won't knock it out of there. The real fun thing was that I burnt my hand at work yesterday and I ended up move all those corals around with a open wound. SPS, Condylactis, and Zoos lots of fun. I make crab cakes at work it better behave itself!! [smiley=chef.gif]

Covey · 01-19-2005, 10:56 AM

Oh Yeah. I went to sleep thinking I crushed My damsel under a rock but it was OK.