emeral crab reef safe?

gusmanda · 12/31/2009, 04:46 PM

I got an emerald crab by mistake along with some frags. I am somewhat hesitant to place it in the display tank. Are they reef safe? I'm afrad it might attack my hermit crab, or my snails, or my cleaner shrimp. Am I exagerating? Or should I put it in the refugium?

cubsFAN · 12/31/2009, 04:56 PM

i have 2 in my tank. they do a good job of cleaning. i have not seen them harm anything, but they are small. who knows when they get big.

cablebox2003 · 12/31/2009, 05:08 PM

No your fine with them in your display tank. I have like ten. I really never see them. Only When the moonlights are on most of the time. They are cool to me. But they have never hurt anything in my display tank to my knowlege.

sruiz · 12/31/2009, 05:27 PM

I had one that was pretty big I want to say close to 2 inches wide. One night I caught him pulling on a Zoo , I could clearly see him stretching the polyp so I took him out asap and threw him in the sump. I would consider that damage not reef safe.

cuda70bill · 12/31/2009, 06:05 PM

Never had a problem with mine, when they get bigger they can get a little attitude

SaltieG · 12/31/2009, 06:05 PM

Im watching mine right now chomping away at some algae on the rocks as I speak. Of course if I move to get up and he sees me he will go and hide again, however in my experience they are totally reef safe and very interesting to watch.

sbwood007 · 12/31/2009, 06:05 PM

I have one in my tank and have not had any problems.

one4gatr · 12/31/2009, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gusmanda

I got an emerald crab by mistake along with some frags. I am somewhat hesitant to place it in the display tank. Are they reef safe? I'm afrad it might attack my hermit crab, or my snails, or my cleaner shrimp. Am I exagerating? Or should I put it in the refugium?

Ummm... I guess it depends on your definition of "reef safe"... the one I have I have caught popping the tops off some Xenia in my tank... Thus starting new colonies all over for me... He has also picked at my hammer coral... I am sure he is just trying to pull pods or algea from them (perhaps he has bad eyesight) but I would just keep an eye on him as I have read each has their own temperment. Mine has not bothered any of the verts in my tank tho...

petemattersen · 12/31/2009, 06:16 PM

i have seen my largest one tugging on some zoas, if i can get ahold of him hes headed to the fuge.

Flipper62 · 01/01/2010, 12:50 AM

I have Emeralds in all of my tanks.....never had a problem yet

Frick-n-Frags · 01/01/2010, 07:41 AM

i've had emeralds for years. they pick at stuff, but i trust them. they arent eating the coral they are picking at. theyare after something else. i have seen one work a small hole in like a turbinaria, but the hole covers up before the day is out. i've also seen them tear up dying gorgonian mat, but usually they stop right at the good stuff.

Ansphire · 01/01/2010, 08:57 AM

I would not risk it...

I had two of them, they killed some zoo's, picked at my lps and even cut a piece of my Digi..

They are cool looking, but at any given moment they can pick at stuff... and you can really notice this when you have a nano and know exactly where you five or six corals are.

there is a member in my local club that has a picture of his eating sps.. I'll see If I can get it posted.. maybe that will be more convincing..lol

lordofthereef · 01/01/2010, 11:37 AM

Some people have issues, some do not. They are super easy to catch regardless of how/what they do in your system so I would go for it and then pull it out if it is causing trouble.

Frogmanx82 · 01/01/2010, 02:05 PM

If they are pulling on zoas, there must not be anything else for them to eat.

They really like to munch on Chaeto. Keep a little bit of chaeto in the tank and you'll have better luck with them.

thomasp123 · 01/01/2010, 02:13 PM

I have one and it is fine around corals but it did kill my featherduster worm. it ripped the tube apart and eat it! So I moved the worm with a now much shorter tube and all was fine. the worm regrew about an inch of tube in the new location and I thought all was going to be alright. Well it took the crab about a month to find him again but when he did it demolished it over night. I never saw any part of that worm again!

Seamus1 · 01/01/2010, 10:09 PM

Three in a 90. From what I see, they are safe. They pick around the zoas, and everything else, but don't cause any damage. My experience anyway.

Tang Salad · 01/01/2010, 11:19 PM

I got rid of all of mine when I found one plucking polyps from an Acropora in the middle of the night. There was, at the time, plenty of bubble algae he could have been eating.

I do not consider them reef safe.

gusmanda · 01/01/2010, 11:25 PM

ended up not placing it in the display tank, don't want to risk it as I have primarily zoas.

JoeinMo · 01/01/2010, 11:29 PM

I have several in my 75 and haven't noticed any negative effects on any of my Zoa gardens.

12/31/2009, 04:46 PM	#1
gusmanda Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Guadalajara, (central west Mexico) Posts: 848	emeral crab reef safe? I got an emerald crab by mistake along with some frags. I am somewhat hesitant to place it in the display tank. Are they reef safe? I'm afrad it might attack my hermit crab, or my snails, or my cleaner shrimp. Am I exagerating? Or should I put it in the refugium?

12/31/2009, 05:27 PM	#4
sruiz Reef'R Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Searching... Posts: 1,381	I had one that was pretty big I want to say close to 2 inches wide. One night I caught him pulling on a Zoo , I could clearly see him stretching the polyp so I took him out asap and threw him in the sump. I would consider that damage not reef safe. __________________ Don't forget your water change.

12/31/2009, 06:05 PM	#6
SaltieG Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mentor on the Lake, Ohio Posts: 745	Im watching mine right now chomping away at some algae on the rocks as I speak. Of course if I move to get up and he sees me he will go and hide again, however in my experience they are totally reef safe and very interesting to watch. __________________ 125 Reef.

12/31/2009, 06:16 PM	#9
petemattersen Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Waterman Posts: 154	i have seen my largest one tugging on some zoas, if i can get ahold of him hes headed to the fuge. __________________ Hot rodder/Fish nerd Current Tank Info: 75 gal mixed reef, 30 gal mangrove swamp

01/01/2010, 12:50 AM	#10
Flipper62 Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Naperville, Il. Business Owner, President & CEO Posts: 3,045	I have Emeralds in all of my tanks.....never had a problem yet __________________ If todays automobile had followed the same development as the computer, A Rolls Royce would cost $100.00. It would get a million miles per gallon, but it would explode once a year killing everyone inside." Current Tanks... 90 gal Reef... My awesome Office BioCube....( 180 was on hold ..no time ) ... The 180 gal has been sold...Yay..yay..yay. Hobby Experience: 19 years Reef...22 years FW

12/31/2009, 04:56 PM	#2
cubsFAN Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Lake Tahoe Posts: 1,550	i have 2 in my tank. they do a good job of cleaning. i have not seen them harm anything, but they are small. who knows when they get big.

12/31/2009, 05:08 PM	#3
cablebox2003 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Antioch , TN Posts: 67	No your fine with them in your display tank. I have like ten. I really never see them. Only When the moonlights are on most of the time. They are cool to me. But they have never hurt anything in my display tank to my knowlege.

12/31/2009, 06:05 PM	#5
cuda70bill Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LaGrange , Illinois Posts: 98	Never had a problem with mine, when they get bigger they can get a little attitude

12/31/2009, 06:05 PM	#7
sbwood007 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Southern Ca. Posts: 520	I have one in my tank and have not had any problems.

01/01/2010, 07:41 AM	#11
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	i've had emeralds for years. they pick at stuff, but i trust them. they arent eating the coral they are picking at. theyare after something else. i have seen one work a small hole in like a turbinaria, but the hole covers up before the day is out. i've also seen them tear up dying gorgonian mat, but usually they stop right at the good stuff. __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

01/01/2010, 08:57 AM	#12
Ansphire Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Easton, PA Posts: 619	I would not risk it... I had two of them, they killed some zoo's, picked at my lps and even cut a piece of my Digi.. They are cool looking, but at any given moment they can pick at stuff... and you can really notice this when you have a nano and know exactly where you five or six corals are. there is a member in my local club that has a picture of his eating sps.. I'll see If I can get it posted.. maybe that will be more convincing..lol __________________ Ricky

01/01/2010, 11:37 AM	#13
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Some people have issues, some do not. They are super easy to catch regardless of how/what they do in your system so I would go for it and then pull it out if it is causing trouble. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

01/01/2010, 02:05 PM	#14
Frogmanx82 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,515	If they are pulling on zoas, there must not be anything else for them to eat. They really like to munch on Chaeto. Keep a little bit of chaeto in the tank and you'll have better luck with them. __________________ Exodus 8:2 Check my homepage for tank pics and details. Current Tank Info: 90 gallon, 2x maxspect R420R LED, 4 Ocellaris Clowns, Yellow Eye Kole Tang, Flame Angel, Foxface Rabbitfish, Banggai Cardinals, Azure Damsel, rock flower anemone, cleaner shrimp, serpent star

01/01/2010, 02:13 PM	#15
thomasp123 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hadley MA Posts: 345	I have one and it is fine around corals but it did kill my featherduster worm. it ripped the tube apart and eat it! So I moved the worm with a now much shorter tube and all was fine. the worm regrew about an inch of tube in the new location and I thought all was going to be alright. Well it took the crab about a month to find him again but when he did it demolished it over night. I never saw any part of that worm again!

01/01/2010, 10:09 PM	#16
Seamus1 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Miami Posts: 172	Three in a 90. From what I see, they are safe. They pick around the zoas, and everything else, but don't cause any damage. My experience anyway.

01/01/2010, 11:19 PM	#17
Tang Salad Algae skeptic Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 78702 Posts: 3,098	I got rid of all of mine when I found one plucking polyps from an Acropora in the middle of the night. There was, at the time, plenty of bubble algae he could have been eating. I do not consider them reef safe. __________________ Your algae is not special. Current Tank Info: TBD ADA 120-P SPS NLPS

01/01/2010, 11:25 PM	#18
gusmanda Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Guadalajara, (central west Mexico) Posts: 848	ended up not placing it in the display tank, don't want to risk it as I have primarily zoas.

01/01/2010, 11:29 PM	#19
JoeinMo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 64	I have several in my 75 and haven't noticed any negative effects on any of my Zoa gardens.