emeralds are not reef safe

str8clownr · 07/23/2007, 03:45 PM

i had added 3 rather large emeralds a couple months ago , heard they were a good addition,

added a tube anemone sunday, and within 20 minutes (after i left) one crab had taken it across tank (75g) and was munching awway...
i battled for the tube anemone 3 different times but wasnt lucky till the last time, by then it was time to flush the then gorgeous tube anemone....

sucks,
im now hunting the crabs

ludnix · 07/23/2007, 04:08 PM

I heard that the larger the emeralds are the more likely they are to be aggressive. Everything I've read about emeralds suggests that they should be treated with caution since they are pretty hit and miss with being non-aggressive.

Rue · 07/23/2007, 04:13 PM

...and I've read to only ever have 1 Emerald Crab per tank...

...so far mine is only eating algae...are you feeding yours algae?

2crazyreefers · 07/23/2007, 05:47 PM

My wife has 7 in her 75 packed reef with no problems.

Salamander · 07/23/2007, 06:54 PM

I think there are several species that are all marketed as emeralds. A general rule of thumb I heard is that ones with more pointy claws are more likely to be problems.

Ephraim · 07/23/2007, 06:59 PM

I have had good emeralds and bad emeralds. Just keep a close eye on them, seems like once they go bad they never go back. Good thing is they are easy to bait, then feed back the anemone/lps they were bugging.

darkcirca · 07/23/2007, 07:42 PM

I've got 2 in my 90 gallon, haven't had any issues. He cleans up around my mushrooms and everything, but doesn't hurt a thing.

Jon Evans · 07/23/2007, 07:58 PM

I had one start eating polyps. I had to spank him and send him packing.

betat · 07/23/2007, 08:11 PM

Mine was starting to eat the polyps too until I reached in and dislodged him from under it. He has not been back to bother it since. We are PO'd that he is not doing what he was purchased to do, eat bubble algae. You can never find him either. I should have just taken the eight dollars and shoved it under a rock in the tank!

taketz · 07/23/2007, 08:32 PM

In the end, they're crabs. If they figure out they can eat something, they will eat that said thing. I wouldn't risk it, as they are even more risky than hermits.

DW62 · 07/23/2007, 09:55 PM

I finally captured mine yesterday after he killed two fish (I saw him get my doty), a banded coral shrimp and a cleaner shrimp. He's finally gone, and good riddance

10" Red Devil · 07/23/2007, 09:58 PM

Taketz touches on a good point. If there is not enough algae for them to graze on they are opportunist and need to feed so you need to supplement there diet with dried algae.

chujai · 07/23/2007, 10:00 PM

i agree with Salamander on species being mislabeled...

some look like it but have pointier claws... i have one of those in my fuge, its huge and it defiantly doesn't eat algae

str8clownr · 07/23/2007, 10:32 PM

damn, well whats the best way i go about trapping these little devils

slumpysix · 07/23/2007, 10:39 PM

I had one of the little bastardos doin the lawnmower trick on a bed of Xenia once.... he sa no more...

scubasteve247 · 07/24/2007, 01:04 AM

depending on the size of your aquarium, amount of algea present and amount of feeding to your tank can effect there behavior.

i look at it this way, if you put me in a box, i eat all of the food, and i am constantly very hungry, the next edible thing your drop in the box becomes dinner.

ive had experience with this in many invertebrates, we use them as clean up crews but when are tanks are clean and spotless we just think they have dont there job, rather they have consumed everything and will now resort to other methods for food. i had a peppermint shrimp attack my bubble coral once, he would agitate it causing to slime up, then he would eat the slime, once i started feeding a lil more, and making sure some food got to him as well, problem solved.

Frick-n-Frags · 07/24/2007, 06:46 AM

the misconception is that they are for bubble algae.
I call Mastodon doo doo on that one.
IMO they are for scraping the rocks around the edges of corals so the corals grow better, and that's it. they do not eat hair algae either. you would want a couple in your frag tanks though. that's a ton of sps bases glued to plugs that you don't want to be cleaning around, and the snails can only do so much.

regarding featherworms and other sessile stuff - lookout. the mithrax will trash all that stuff. I had one a long time ago that got stung by an aiptasia while cleaning and it freaked out on the aiptasia and shredded it, but it was getting stung all the while so it was wild. only one ever to occasionally waste an aiptasia (ahh, reminds me, I saw an aip in the DT and after sooo many months too of none visible)
so I'm sure there is a personality range for sure. and I'm sure if that guy I had figured out how to ice aiptasia, he could have figured out how to shred a zoo.

I have overall been good to go with the mithrax crabs. although I only get them from Aquatic Technology, and he has been getting them from the same place for whatever 15 years. When I read some of the stories, I think y'all are lying, because those aren't the nice mithrax I get.

maybe you should contact Aquatic tech and get some of theirs (or not so he has some when I need more

)

Subliminal · 07/24/2007, 07:53 AM

I bought one of these guys yesterday and he literally started shoveling hair algae into his face as soon as he hit the sand bed.

RichConley · 07/24/2007, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by taketz
In the end, they're crabs. If they figure out they can eat something, they will eat that said thing.

The same thing could be said about pretty much everything we keep.

Frick, I have had quite a few emeralds who eat bubble algae.

The problem here, IMO, is that people dont feed their tanks nearly enough, and these animals are starving.

greenbean36191 · 07/24/2007, 08:47 AM

Sure, both happen, but aggressive emeralds can't be written off as an issue of misidentified or starving animals. They are crabs. They're opportunists regardless of the shape of their claws. Even with plenty of food, some are still going to go after meat. It's not just an artifact of being in a tank. They do it in the wild too. While diving I've seen them shredding fish and even had a large one try to attack me for getting too close.

str8clownr · 07/24/2007, 10:13 AM

wouldnt the tube anemone sting the crab and let him know the anemone is not food?

07/23/2007, 03:45 PM	#1
str8clownr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: mia Posts: 619	emeralds are not reef safe i had added 3 rather large emeralds a couple months ago , heard they were a good addition, added a tube anemone sunday, and within 20 minutes (after i left) one crab had taken it across tank (75g) and was munching awway... i battled for the tube anemone 3 different times but wasnt lucky till the last time, by then it was time to flush the then gorgeous tube anemone.... sucks, im now hunting the crabs

07/23/2007, 04:08 PM	#2
ludnix Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Posts: 3,031	I heard that the larger the emeralds are the more likely they are to be aggressive. Everything I've read about emeralds suggests that they should be treated with caution since they are pretty hit and miss with being non-aggressive. __________________ -Eric Sutter Current Tank Info: 14g Biocube

07/23/2007, 04:13 PM	#3
Rue Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Saskatchewan Canada Posts: 938	...and I've read to only ever have 1 Emerald Crab per tank... ...so far mine is only eating algae...are you feeding yours algae? __________________ Authorized Pistol Shrimp/Goby Matchmaker... Current Tank Info: RSM 34g; 27g custom frag tank coming soon! FW: 25g community, 55g goldfish, 25l plakat

07/23/2007, 05:47 PM	#4
2crazyreefers Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Vt. Posts: 733	My wife has 7 in her 75 packed reef with no problems. __________________ My 4 part recipie for my acros = calcium - alk - flow & luck.

07/23/2007, 06:54 PM	#5
Salamander Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 2,103	I think there are several species that are all marketed as emeralds. A general rule of thumb I heard is that ones with more pointy claws are more likely to be problems. __________________ I feel more like myself now than I did before. Current Tank Info: 120g mixed reef, 2 x 250W DE MH, 2 x 54w T5, MSX 200 SKimmer, 2 Koralia 4's, 40g fuge/sump, QT

07/23/2007, 06:59 PM	#6
Ephraim Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Calgary Alberta Posts: 193	I have had good emeralds and bad emeralds. Just keep a close eye on them, seems like once they go bad they never go back. Good thing is they are easy to bait, then feed back the anemone/lps they were bugging.

07/23/2007, 07:42 PM	#7
darkcirca Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Centreville, VA Posts: 491	I've got 2 in my 90 gallon, haven't had any issues. He cleans up around my mushrooms and everything, but doesn't hurt a thing.

07/23/2007, 07:58 PM	#8
Jon Evans Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Massillon, OH Posts: 297	I had one start eating polyps. I had to spank him and send him packing. __________________ If you are in the stock market, look to diversify your portfolio with global equities. Warren Buffett said so. Current Tank Info: 75 gallon FOWLR tank with 20 gal sump/fuge

07/23/2007, 08:11 PM	#9
betat Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Music City Posts: 105	Mine was starting to eat the polyps too until I reached in and dislodged him from under it. He has not been back to bother it since. We are PO'd that he is not doing what he was purchased to do, eat bubble algae. You can never find him either. I should have just taken the eight dollars and shoved it under a rock in the tank!

07/23/2007, 08:32 PM	#10
taketz Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 504	In the end, they're crabs. If they figure out they can eat something, they will eat that said thing. I wouldn't risk it, as they are even more risky than hermits.

07/23/2007, 09:55 PM	#11
DW62 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 58	I finally captured mine yesterday after he killed two fish (I saw him get my doty), a banded coral shrimp and a cleaner shrimp. He's finally gone, and good riddance __________________ something fishy going on around here.... Current Tank Info: 75g reef, 12g nano

07/23/2007, 09:58 PM	#12
10" Red Devil Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,611	Taketz touches on a good point. If there is not enough algae for them to graze on they are opportunist and need to feed so you need to supplement there diet with dried algae.

07/23/2007, 10:00 PM	#13
chujai Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ottawa Posts: 188	i agree with Salamander on species being mislabeled... some look like it but have pointier claws... i have one of those in my fuge, its huge and it defiantly doesn't eat algae

07/23/2007, 10:32 PM	#14
str8clownr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: mia Posts: 619	damn, well whats the best way i go about trapping these little devils

07/23/2007, 10:39 PM	#15
slumpysix Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 837	I had one of the little bastardos doin the lawnmower trick on a bed of Xenia once.... he sa no more...

07/24/2007, 01:04 AM	#16
scubasteve247 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: south florida Posts: 1,142	depending on the size of your aquarium, amount of algea present and amount of feeding to your tank can effect there behavior. i look at it this way, if you put me in a box, i eat all of the food, and i am constantly very hungry, the next edible thing your drop in the box becomes dinner. ive had experience with this in many invertebrates, we use them as clean up crews but when are tanks are clean and spotless we just think they have dont there job, rather they have consumed everything and will now resort to other methods for food. i had a peppermint shrimp attack my bubble coral once, he would agitate it causing to slime up, then he would eat the slime, once i started feeding a lil more, and making sure some food got to him as well, problem solved.

07/24/2007, 06:46 AM	#17
Frick-n-Frags Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: north central OH Posts: 10,740	the misconception is that they are for bubble algae. I call Mastodon doo doo on that one. IMO they are for scraping the rocks around the edges of corals so the corals grow better, and that's it. they do not eat hair algae either. you would want a couple in your frag tanks though. that's a ton of sps bases glued to plugs that you don't want to be cleaning around, and the snails can only do so much. regarding featherworms and other sessile stuff - lookout. the mithrax will trash all that stuff. I had one a long time ago that got stung by an aiptasia while cleaning and it freaked out on the aiptasia and shredded it, but it was getting stung all the while so it was wild. only one ever to occasionally waste an aiptasia (ahh, reminds me, I saw an aip in the DT and after sooo many months too of none visible) so I'm sure there is a personality range for sure. and I'm sure if that guy I had figured out how to ice aiptasia, he could have figured out how to shred a zoo. I have overall been good to go with the mithrax crabs. although I only get them from Aquatic Technology, and he has been getting them from the same place for whatever 15 years. When I read some of the stories, I think y'all are lying, because those aren't the nice mithrax I get. maybe you should contact Aquatic tech and get some of theirs (or not so he has some when I need more ) __________________ Only Dead fish swim with the current. Current Tank Info: 2 50 gal tanks, sump, still BB

07/24/2007, 07:53 AM	#18
Subliminal Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Princeton, NJ Posts: 322	I bought one of these guys yesterday and he literally started shoveling hair algae into his face as soon as he hit the sand bed.

07/24/2007, 08:47 AM	#20
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	Sure, both happen, but aggressive emeralds can't be written off as an issue of misidentified or starving animals. They are crabs. They're opportunists regardless of the shape of their claws. Even with plenty of food, some are still going to go after meat. It's not just an artifact of being in a tank. They do it in the wild too. While diving I've seen them shredding fish and even had a large one try to attack me for getting too close. __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

07/24/2007, 10:13 AM	#21
str8clownr Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: mia Posts: 619	wouldnt the tube anemone sting the crab and let him know the anemone is not food?