Is this crab as reef safe as they told me it was?

[DaveWF]

So my LFS had this cool little "Halloween Crab". I know it's not an actual Halloween crab (orange with white stripes), but what else are you going to call a crab with black and orange legs?

Any information you have on this guy would be helpful.



And the reason why I'm suddenly asking if he is really reef safe....

[Mandragen]

lol, as far as crabs, all of them seem to be oportunistic feeders. If they can eat it effectively they will. I try to stay away from them and even hate when my hermits attack my snails for whatever reason. I don't know about that particular crab but looking forward to answer.

[Emerald525]

Well I have asked this question before LOL and have been told time and time again that "nothing with claws is 100% reef safe" and I would agree. I have had to remove the bigger hermit crabs and emerald crab and put in my aggressive tank from my reef because they knock things over and have lost zoas off frag plugs because of too aggressive of cleaning the algae.

I find less difficulty with the dwarf hermit crabs.

[jeff@zina.com]

Those are normally called red striped hermits or (yes, really) Halloween hermits (not the Trizopagurus strigatus Halloween crabs) here and are pretty common. They look like brown versions of a blue leg (you can tell by size, if yours is under an inch it's likely a blue leg). The only issue is that red striped hermits get big enough to do physical damage, knocking frags over or even grabbing a small fish, but it's not really a reef predator as such.

Though the statement that anything with claws isn't reef safe is pretty true. The only reason blue legs are considered reef safe is they never get big enough to eat the reef.

Jeff

[Floowid]

Halloweens get big, and big crabs get hungry. I have always stayed away from these guys for a reef environment.

[crvz]

I tend not to keep any hermits in my tanks. They are certainly opportunistic, as pointed out, but I also don't find them adding any benefit to my systems.

regarding the one in question, it's as reef-safe as any of them at that size, but I still wouldnt trust it.

[Angel*Fish]

The only type of crab I'd allow in my tank are the filter feeding ones (porcelain crab). Never trust a crab.

[ahud]

I added three in my forty breeder, hours of entertainment is worth a replacing a few snails every now and again IMO.

I'm wondering if they are as bad as people say.

[theROYSKIE]

the only problems i have had as mentioned by Jeff is that the bigger ones are like bulls in a china shop especially if there r delicate coral present. smaller ones have always kept my reefs clean with th3 occasional snail murder. also i have observed them eating copapods and the like... so i never keep them in the fuge.

[Reverend Reefer]

yeah i'm definitely of the opinion that most crabs are not reef safe. over the years i've slowly moved my crabs into my sump after noticing that they are not very good citizens. they are very opportunistic omnivores.