Something is eating my corals

Saltwaterstart · 08/16/2007, 03:40 PM

Hi again!

I recently purchased my first 3 corals and put them in my BioCube 29.

I just found this today, but there is a small type of crab eating away at the zooanthids I bought, and has made it's way over to the ricordea, and made a significant dent in it.

It is a very small crab, and it has an almost orange to brown tinge to it's claw.

All I see is the claw so far, but I would like to trap the crab to prevent it from eating the rest of my zooanthids!

What do I do?

bertoni · 08/16/2007, 04:22 PM

Crabs can be tough to catch. You could try a soda bottle trap. Just cut the top off a soda container, and glue it back in place, inverted. Then bait the traip and hope for the best.

Saltwaterstart · 08/16/2007, 08:43 PM

I have a longnose hawkfish, 2 percula clowns, and 1 cleaner shrimp, will they be any help.

The longnose was only put in yesterday, but he already knows there is something in there, and my parents say that he pokes his head in the piece of rock, and perches on or beside the rock, watching and waiting.

So far, he has been poking in and out of the holes, and the crab has stopped.

I'm considering turning over the rock, or breaking it and letting the hawk have a bit of fun.

I'll try the pop bottle idea, I just don't know what to bait it with!

Can I get some help on this?

Peter Eichler · 08/16/2007, 08:50 PM

If the crab is small enough I think it' just a matter of time before the Hawkfish nabs him.

Saltwaterstart · 08/16/2007, 08:56 PM

I might just turn over the rock.

The hawkfish is hungry most of the time anyways, I only feed the tank every 2 days to keep the nitrates down, and even then, I feed sparingly.

My cleaner shrimp is actually bullying around the hawkfish, because it takes the hawk about 1 minute to find a perch, and he is only on that for about 5 because the cleaner shrimp chases him off to another area of the tank.

I feed with frozen shrimp and phytoplankton, and the percs, hawk, and shrimp love it. Even the hermit crabs I have fight over leftover scraps!

Maxi · 08/16/2007, 09:07 PM

Chop sticks.

Saltwaterstart · 08/16/2007, 09:12 PM

Do I use them to take out the crab?

I seriously don't know what that means.

Maxi · 08/16/2007, 09:15 PM

Either smash the crab and feed it to your hawk, or grab it with the chopsticks and with its legs get torn off by the hawk..
You have a better chance by grabbing it instead of smashing it.
But if you don't want to kill it, do the same and put it elsewhere.

Saltwaterstart · 08/16/2007, 09:20 PM

True...

I can always give it back to my LFS and ask them to put it in the refugium of their 300 gallon reef setup.

I think it was looking for pods, and it just developed a taste for corals. I think I actually had enough pods to keep a mandarin for about 3 months while my tank was cycling.

I'll take some pics and show you the damage he has done.

I think the ricordea will grow back, but I am not sure about the Zoos.

Maxi · 08/16/2007, 09:34 PM

I think they will all eventually grow back. If you can give it to your LFS that is great

Saltwaterstart · 08/16/2007, 09:36 PM

I was thinking of a joke, but they probably wouldn't let me back in.

I'll call them up after I bag it, if I can get it out before the hawk goes berserk.

I might just give them back fragments, or leftover legs he leaves.

Maxi · 08/16/2007, 09:41 PM

lol

A twitching leg.

Saltwaterstart · 08/16/2007, 09:43 PM

Might be all that's left of him.

Even my clowns have a nasty habit of nipping me when I am arranging some rock.

I'm kinda ticked off at this crab.

Saltwaterstart · 08/16/2007, 09:49 PM

Also, because my clowns host my zooanthids for whatever reason...

They are most likely going to be a little bit ticked off that their home is being eaten.

Saltwaterstart · 08/17/2007, 11:04 AM

Also, I have another little thing in the aquarium that I am not sure of...

There is a white slug, almost transparent, about 1" long.

Will he be eating the corals?

Also, the ricordea are giving off a white fuzz where the crab ate.

Are they growing back?

Saltwaterstart · 08/17/2007, 12:03 PM

Here's a few shots of my tank after 4 months. They are much colourful, but I have a bad quality camera.

FTS

Zooanthid Damage

Mushroom Damage

The Zooanthids took most of the damage because the rock was full of them to start, and now I only have 4 small colonies of different kinds.

Maxi · 08/17/2007, 12:34 PM

Nice clowns!

bertoni · 08/17/2007, 02:27 PM

The slug might be a problem, might not. I'd just watch it. The Ricordea probably are decaying a bit.

Saltwaterstart · 08/17/2007, 03:59 PM

I am thinking of leaving the slug in.

Also, I called up my LFS, and they said to pull the zooanthid rock out of the water, and wait for the crab to crawl out to find a suitable environment.

Also, they told me that the hawkfish might not eat the crab, but I'd say he seems pretty interested!

Should I be alarmed with the mushroom decaying?

08/16/2007, 03:40 PM	#1
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	Something is eating my corals Hi again! I recently purchased my first 3 corals and put them in my BioCube 29. I just found this today, but there is a small type of crab eating away at the zooanthids I bought, and has made it's way over to the ricordea, and made a significant dent in it. It is a very small crab, and it has an almost orange to brown tinge to it's claw. All I see is the claw so far, but I would like to trap the crab to prevent it from eating the rest of my zooanthids! What do I do? __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/16/2007, 04:22 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Crabs can be tough to catch. You could try a soda bottle trap. Just cut the top off a soda container, and glue it back in place, inverted. Then bait the traip and hope for the best. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/16/2007, 08:43 PM	#3
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	I have a longnose hawkfish, 2 percula clowns, and 1 cleaner shrimp, will they be any help. The longnose was only put in yesterday, but he already knows there is something in there, and my parents say that he pokes his head in the piece of rock, and perches on or beside the rock, watching and waiting. So far, he has been poking in and out of the holes, and the crab has stopped. I'm considering turning over the rock, or breaking it and letting the hawk have a bit of fun. I'll try the pop bottle idea, I just don't know what to bait it with! Can I get some help on this? __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/16/2007, 08:50 PM	#4
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	If the crab is small enough I think it' just a matter of time before the Hawkfish nabs him. __________________ April 2015 TOTM

08/16/2007, 08:56 PM	#5
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	I might just turn over the rock. The hawkfish is hungry most of the time anyways, I only feed the tank every 2 days to keep the nitrates down, and even then, I feed sparingly. My cleaner shrimp is actually bullying around the hawkfish, because it takes the hawk about 1 minute to find a perch, and he is only on that for about 5 because the cleaner shrimp chases him off to another area of the tank. I feed with frozen shrimp and phytoplankton, and the percs, hawk, and shrimp love it. Even the hermit crabs I have fight over leftover scraps! __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/16/2007, 09:07 PM	#6
Maxi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,381	Chop sticks.

08/16/2007, 09:12 PM	#7
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	Do I use them to take out the crab? I seriously don't know what that means. __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/16/2007, 09:15 PM	#8
Maxi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,381	Either smash the crab and feed it to your hawk, or grab it with the chopsticks and with its legs get torn off by the hawk.. You have a better chance by grabbing it instead of smashing it. But if you don't want to kill it, do the same and put it elsewhere.

08/16/2007, 09:20 PM	#9
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	True... I can always give it back to my LFS and ask them to put it in the refugium of their 300 gallon reef setup. I think it was looking for pods, and it just developed a taste for corals. I think I actually had enough pods to keep a mandarin for about 3 months while my tank was cycling. I'll take some pics and show you the damage he has done. I think the ricordea will grow back, but I am not sure about the Zoos. __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/16/2007, 09:34 PM	#10
Maxi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,381	I think they will all eventually grow back. If you can give it to your LFS that is great

08/16/2007, 09:36 PM	#11
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	I was thinking of a joke, but they probably wouldn't let me back in. I'll call them up after I bag it, if I can get it out before the hawk goes berserk. I might just give them back fragments, or leftover legs he leaves. __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/16/2007, 09:41 PM	#12
Maxi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,381	lol A twitching leg.

08/16/2007, 09:43 PM	#13
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	Might be all that's left of him. Even my clowns have a nasty habit of nipping me when I am arranging some rock. I'm kinda ticked off at this crab. __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/16/2007, 09:49 PM	#14
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	Also, because my clowns host my zooanthids for whatever reason... They are most likely going to be a little bit ticked off that their home is being eaten. __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/17/2007, 11:04 AM	#15
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	Also, I have another little thing in the aquarium that I am not sure of... There is a white slug, almost transparent, about 1" long. Will he be eating the corals? Also, the ricordea are giving off a white fuzz where the crab ate. Are they growing back? __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/17/2007, 12:03 PM	#16
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	Here's a few shots of my tank after 4 months. They are much colourful, but I have a bad quality camera. FTS Zooanthid Damage Mushroom Damage The Zooanthids took most of the damage because the rock was full of them to start, and now I only have 4 small colonies of different kinds. __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef

08/17/2007, 12:34 PM	#17
Maxi Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,381	Nice clowns!

08/17/2007, 02:27 PM	#18
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The slug might be a problem, might not. I'd just watch it. The Ricordea probably are decaying a bit. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

08/17/2007, 03:59 PM	#19
Saltwaterstart Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 458	I am thinking of leaving the slug in. Also, I called up my LFS, and they said to pull the zooanthid rock out of the water, and wait for the crab to crawl out to find a suitable environment. Also, they told me that the hawkfish might not eat the crab, but I'd say he seems pretty interested! Should I be alarmed with the mushroom decaying? __________________ -Geoff A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon bio-cube- Planning 135 gallon SPS reef