Reefsafe.....Schmeefsafe!!!

While I will generally agree that Mithrax Crabs (emerald crabs) are generally reefsafe, that is not always the case.

I bought a clean-up package for Schackmel's parents on Sunday. I went down to acclimate them and found that they had topped off too much and salinity was all the way down at 1.020. I can't acclimate snails, crabs, shrimp, etc from 1.026 down to 1.020. Even if I could, they don't like SG that low. It's going to take me time to bring their tank back up to a proper specific gravity. I had all of the animals already so I was forced to put them in my own tanks temporarily.

I woke up in the middle of the night and the stupid emerald crab had MOWED through 1/4 of a beautiful Tubastrea (Sun Coral). He's darn lucky I have a purpose for him in someone elses tank. I was quite angry and he EASILY could have found a temporary home in a mantis tank.

 

Yeah, mine actively went after fish and caught one before I got the message...

 

Two words for you...Quarantine Tank!

 

As I type this, I am looking at an SPS QT tank, an LPS QT tank, and a Softie QT tank. My fish QT tank is kept at low SG too so there is no reason to put them in there.....it would be the same as putting them in her parent's tank.

I had no choice but to put the clean up crews in my QT tanks so I could nab them easily.

 

Sorry to hear that Curt. You know the saying no good deed goes unpunished. I don't trust crabs.........

 

Two more words "Drawn butter".

 

+1 to that! Crabs belong on the plate or in the ocean not in a fishtank!

 

Unless its a mantis tank.

 

Sorry to hear that, Curt.

Emeralds usually are fairly peaceful, but like most anything else, you can find a rogue every now and then. So far, I've had 1 out of 9.

 

Makes me scared to introduce a emerald crad to my setup