Oh No.....I found a spider in my Salt Tank

Well it sounds like it is a gall crab. That would explain the mouth that resembles a spider's. It's for munching down on corals to create a burrow. I would definitely keep an eye on the hole in your elegance, or even try to seperate it. And it also seems that each person that has ever removed these, the critter had eggs. (hence the seperation suggestion)

 

Thank you, I think it is too. That would explain why my friend thought she saw little ones. I'm putting my coral back in the tank tomorrow.

 

if the elegance was dipped in coral rx ... i wonder if that would kill any eggs that could possibly be on it?

 

My elegance had a gall crab that I promptly removed once noticed. I never saw it out and about the tank though! Nasty little critters. Mine didn't survive extraction and my elegance is doing better without it in there.

 

I don't think he's in the Elegance anymore. My puffer is pretty aggressive and I'm hoping he took care of it for me but I'm still going to the fish store to get some of the rx for the Elegance. Thanks.

 

If there's nothing in the hole I'd leave it alone. They really dislike being handled and I think a dip without verifying the crabs actual presence would put unnecessary stress on the coral. If you do decide to handle it wait until dark when most of the flesh is retracted and you can grab it easily from the skeleton.

 

It's been over a month and I still haven't seen him again. Looks like the moving around and water changes worked to get rid of him.