Who keeps emerald crabs???

masonicman · 02/15/2008, 09:36 AM

I have had them before. Early when I first started up with my SW tank. But now I have a well establish FWLR & C and I was thinking about adding maybe 2 to help keep the live rock clean. How ever I do not want them to start picking at my corals and once they're in.... they in. Are there any issues i need to be aware of?

osprey77 · 02/15/2008, 09:40 AM

i have several huge ones, and i mean huge. they don't seem to touch any of my corals.

ricwilli · 02/15/2008, 09:53 AM

I have one and it does not bother any of my corals. I do find it hanging out on top of my cap once in a while at night. My cap doesn't seem to mind.

Logzor · 02/15/2008, 10:11 AM

I have one, does not bother the corals too much but he will sometimes host my frogspawn without bothering it.

Although, he has WWF styled a nassarious snail or two.

DOTZ · 02/15/2008, 10:16 AM

I had one for about a year in my 30 gal reef and it never bothered anyhting in the tank.

gaspasser1 · 02/15/2008, 10:18 AM

IMO emeralds do not eat coral. They are cool.

schigara · 02/15/2008, 10:59 AM

I have one that now resides in my refugium. I found him straddling a Millepora and picking at it. The Mille had not extended it's polyps for two weeks and I couldn't figure out why until I noticed the emerald pestering it late at night.

The Mille is back to normal now.

The emerald might not have been eating the polyps. He might have been picking at some algae but this was causing the Mille to be unhappy.

That's one vote against Emeralds from me.

techreef · 02/15/2008, 11:53 AM

i've got a brown mithrax crab in my tank that's 2" across, and it's been snacking on my astraea and cerith snails for the past 8 months. will not be trapped. i won't ever put another crab in my tank. lesson learned. (this one was a hitchhiker!)

K' Family Reef · 02/15/2008, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Logzor

Although, he has WWF styled a nassarious snail or two.

K' Family Reef · 02/15/2008, 12:05 PM

thought that part of the issue w/ keeping emeralds was that they might go after fish ???

anyone have this happen ???

i know someone locally who wanted to get one out of their tank bec of that reason.

regards

snagged by reef · 02/15/2008, 12:13 PM

Emeralds are great crabs. i walways keep 2 at any given time. never bother corals, fish or snails. the only other invert ive seen them go after is hermits, and it was only because the hermit thought he was going to be badass and try to take the emeralds territory...lol.

schigara · 02/15/2008, 12:15 PM

I have had 6 emeralds over the years and all have "tried" going after fish but never caught one. It was always comical to watch as the Emerald would hang off a rock with one claw and try to grab a fish as it swam by.

Quote:

Originally posted by WarrenAmy&Maddy
thought that part of the issue w/ keeping emeralds was that they might go after fish ???

anyone have this happen ???

i know someone locally who wanted to get one out of their tank bec of that reason.

regards

K' Family Reef · 02/15/2008, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by schigara
I have had 6 emeralds over the years and all have "tried" going after fish but never caught one. It was always comical to watch as the Emerald would hang off a rock with one claw and try to grab a fish as it swam by.

so no issues w/ emeralds bothering fish ???

regards

Tommy3492 · 02/15/2008, 12:23 PM

i got 3 they dont seem to do anything at all to the corals, its kinda hard to even find them at night...

rmw4547 · 02/15/2008, 12:49 PM

I have 5 two big males who picked at the coral are now living in my sump and three small females who are great. As far as catching them I had no problems.

techreef · 02/15/2008, 01:00 PM

i've had several small gobies and firefish disappear over the past year, while my monster mithrax has ruled his kingdom. so while i've never seen him grab a fish, i still suspect he's got fish blood on his hands. he's active mostly at night, when my fish are all tucked away in my rockwork, and are easy prey for him. the crab is really strong, so I totally can see it as able to kill fish under 2" long.

i have definitely seen him eating snails like he was popping a top on a brew can...

02/15/2008, 09:36 AM	#1
masonicman Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 1,313	Who keeps emerald crabs??? I have had them before. Early when I first started up with my SW tank. But now I have a well establish FWLR & C and I was thinking about adding maybe 2 to help keep the live rock clean. How ever I do not want them to start picking at my corals and once they're in.... they in. Are there any issues i need to be aware of? __________________ It is better to ask for forgiveness then to ask for permission.......... Current Tank Info: 75 gal mixed reef, 216w LED, Remora Pro skimmer, HOB fuge, 400w htr, ATO RO/DI, 90lbs LR and 1" SB.

02/15/2008, 09:40 AM	#2
osprey77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Loveland CO Posts: 479	i have several huge ones, and i mean huge. they don't seem to touch any of my corals. __________________ RJ si vis pacem, para bellum Click my Red House for T5 Website Current Tank Info: 14g BioCube Kenya and shroom farm, 75 gallon BB Monti Dominated Reef

02/15/2008, 09:53 AM	#3
ricwilli Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 929	I have one and it does not bother any of my corals. I do find it hanging out on top of my cap once in a while at night. My cap doesn't seem to mind. __________________ If you buy cheap solution, be prepare for it's limitation.

02/15/2008, 10:11 AM	#4
Logzor Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Kenwood, Ohio Posts: 4,073	I have one, does not bother the corals too much but he will sometimes host my frogspawn without bothering it. Although, he has WWF styled a nassarious snail or two.

02/15/2008, 10:16 AM	#5
DOTZ Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Benton, Il Posts: 1,764	I had one for about a year in my 30 gal reef and it never bothered anyhting in the tank.

02/15/2008, 10:18 AM	#6
gaspasser1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: wisconsin Posts: 69	IMO emeralds do not eat coral. They are cool.

02/15/2008, 10:59 AM	#7
schigara Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Memphis, Tn Posts: 525	I have one that now resides in my refugium. I found him straddling a Millepora and picking at it. The Mille had not extended it's polyps for two weeks and I couldn't figure out why until I noticed the emerald pestering it late at night. The Mille is back to normal now. The emerald might not have been eating the polyps. He might have been picking at some algae but this was causing the Mille to be unhappy. That's one vote against Emeralds from me.

02/15/2008, 11:53 AM	#8
techreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montclair, NJ Posts: 1,046	i've got a brown mithrax crab in my tank that's 2" across, and it's been snacking on my astraea and cerith snails for the past 8 months. will not be trapped. i won't ever put another crab in my tank. lesson learned. (this one was a hitchhiker!)

02/15/2008, 12:05 PM	#10
K' Family Reef Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,966	thought that part of the issue w/ keeping emeralds was that they might go after fish ??? anyone have this happen ??? i know someone locally who wanted to get one out of their tank bec of that reason. regards

02/15/2008, 12:13 PM	#11
snagged by reef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Allentown, PA Posts: 157	Emeralds are great crabs. i walways keep 2 at any given time. never bother corals, fish or snails. the only other invert ive seen them go after is hermits, and it was only because the hermit thought he was going to be badass and try to take the emeralds territory...lol.

02/15/2008, 12:23 PM	#14
Tommy3492 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 266	i got 3 they dont seem to do anything at all to the corals, its kinda hard to even find them at night...

02/15/2008, 12:49 PM	#15
rmw4547 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: ny Posts: 119	I have 5 two big males who picked at the coral are now living in my sump and three small females who are great. As far as catching them I had no problems.

02/15/2008, 01:00 PM	#16
techreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Montclair, NJ Posts: 1,046	i've had several small gobies and firefish disappear over the past year, while my monster mithrax has ruled his kingdom. so while i've never seen him grab a fish, i still suspect he's got fish blood on his hands. he's active mostly at night, when my fish are all tucked away in my rockwork, and are easy prey for him. the crab is really strong, so I totally can see it as able to kill fish under 2" long. i have definitely seen him eating snails like he was popping a top on a brew can...