Can't wait to get my emerald crab. Grow algae for him?

chrisstankevitz · 08/05/2006, 05:53 AM

My tank is cycling now, and I can't wait to get an emerald crab! Those things are bad-***! They eat everything and keep the other critters in check

(Is that a pimp?)

How do I make sure there is food for my clean up crew to eat before I put them in? Run the lights and grow some brown algae?

Jeremy Blaze · 08/05/2006, 07:17 AM

Wait till the tank cycles before adding any inverts! There will be stuff growing then.

chrisstankevitz · 08/05/2006, 09:45 AM

What will be growing? Are you assuming that I leave the light on while cycling?

Thanks,

Chris

chrisstie · 08/05/2006, 10:45 AM

Regardless there usually will be stuff there for the crew to eat and if you have any coralline on your rock you want to keep i recommend having lights on for maybe just a couple hours every day

hgbarwick · 08/05/2006, 10:55 AM

Emerald crabs a very active. My little guy allmost all of my buble algea. And he clears all of the other algea.

lt34 · 08/05/2006, 10:59 AM

I kept my light running 6 to 8 hours a day while cycling. The Coraline is doing good. If you are ghost feeding your tank to cycle, then there would be lots of stuff for a clean-up crew when you finish cycling. After you cycle, I would also add some pods before any fish to let them start-up.

n2theblue · 08/05/2006, 09:37 PM

My emerald crab does such a good job cleaning that sometimes I have to (well maybe I just want to) give him something extra. I just tear off a 1" by 1" or so sheet of nori and hold it out. He will run across the tank to grab it out of my hand and then head back to his favorite cave.

doox00 · 08/05/2006, 09:40 PM

I have two emerald crabs, one is always out and about and is not shy at all, the other I only see a couple times a week.

here is a pic of the outgoing one I took the other day.

chrisstankevitz · 08/06/2006, 01:05 PM

Awesome emerald crab! I love those things!

RL321 · 08/06/2006, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chrisstankevitz
Awesome emerald crab! I love those things!

Do they do any damage to any corals, are they reef safe?

hgbarwick · 08/06/2006, 02:27 PM

I have never had any problems wiht emrald crabs.

demonsp · 08/06/2006, 03:01 PM

my emerald stays hiddne most days but i caught him sleeping under my hairy mushroom . very cool crab tho.

kass03 · 08/06/2006, 04:40 PM

theres mixed views on if they are reef safe.
They're suppose to be and eat algae and sometimes eat the bad valonia bubble algae but some have said they've seen them eat polyps or corals sometimes.
Alot of crabs will also do this if the polyps are dying also so it's hard to say for sure.

I've had a few in my time and never had a problem with them eating corals.

kass

druce · 08/06/2006, 05:06 PM

heheh, my emrald ate my first three chromis and possibly one of my cleaner shrimp.

They say they are reef safe ... that is until they get reef hungry.

I guess it just depends on luck really - will you get a well behaved one or not? Many people on here have reported nothing but good thngs about them.

In any case, good luck! They are neat creatures to watch....

jbrunken · 08/06/2006, 05:16 PM

My emerald is generally well behavied. I've seen him picking algea off of the rocks right next to the polyps in my tank (he just ignores them).

About the worst thing that I've seen him do is rip a stomatella snail apart, but my tank is filled with them so that wasn't a problem.

It definitely has a big "wow factor" for the people who look at my tank.

BTW, they grow fast (at least mine does).

-JB

kass03 · 08/06/2006, 05:23 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by druce
[B]heheh, my emrald ate my first three chromis and possibly one of my cleaner shrimp.

They say they are reef safe ... that is until they get reef hungry.

did you actually see it grab the choris and kill them? or were they possibly dead or dying and the crab was picking on them?

I'm not saying it can't happen but alot of people assume things but did'nt really see it kill anything.

kass

druce · 08/06/2006, 05:33 PM

no, I understand what you are saying - and maybe they were, though I doubt it. I just know my fish stopped disappearing when my emerald crab died.

The way he died is a little strange. He either killed and ate my shrimp or the shrimp died/was sick - tho never seemed to be the previous days.

Anyway the crab ate so much of the shrimp I think he exploded...

Normally I'm not one to go around yelling don't get X creature cause of this, I was just giving my 2 cents, I have heard from others too that some emerald crabs get big and gutsy and decide to go for fish and other items for meals.

more or less I'm just highlighting my experience with the emerald crab.

swimboy123 · 08/06/2006, 07:00 PM

both mithrax crabs have done wonders for my tank, alwways get one when I got to the LFS

08/05/2006, 05:53 AM	#1
chrisstankevitz Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA Posts: 118	Can't wait to get my emerald crab. Grow algae for him? My tank is cycling now, and I can't wait to get an emerald crab! Those things are bad-***! They eat everything and keep the other critters in check (Is that a pimp?) How do I make sure there is food for my clean up crew to eat before I put them in? Run the lights and grow some brown algae?

08/05/2006, 07:17 AM	#2
Jeremy Blaze Former Reef Addict Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Washington, IN Posts: 5,864	Wait till the tank cycles before adding any inverts! There will be stuff growing then. __________________ Trust me my friend, the names are not important at all. I've own hundreds of different zoas and palys and don't know the name of a single one. In my opinion, they are a waste of valuable time. Mucho Reef

08/05/2006, 10:45 AM	#4
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	Regardless there usually will be stuff there for the crew to eat and if you have any coralline on your rock you want to keep i recommend having lights on for maybe just a couple hours every day __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS

08/05/2006, 10:59 AM	#6
lt34 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: North Port, Florida Posts: 217	I kept my light running 6 to 8 hours a day while cycling. The Coraline is doing good. If you are ghost feeding your tank to cycle, then there would be lots of stuff for a clean-up crew when you finish cycling. After you cycle, I would also add some pods before any fish to let them start-up. __________________ Barry Never Forget 9/11, Support our Troops. "FDNY 343" "I promise to mow the lawn if I can get that Coral". Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon Reef, 2-150watt HQI MH, 260 watt PC Atinics, 9.5mag in sump, Seio 1100 ph, 110lbs lr, 100lbs ls, Coralife superskimmer 125

08/06/2006, 03:01 PM	#12
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	emerald crab my emerald stays hiddne most days but i caught him sleeping under my hairy mushroom . very cool crab tho.

08/05/2006, 09:45 AM	#3
chrisstankevitz Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA Posts: 118	What will be growing? Are you assuming that I leave the light on while cycling? Thanks, Chris

08/05/2006, 10:55 AM	#5
hgbarwick Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Plant City, Florida Posts: 1,390	Emerald crabs a very active. My little guy allmost all of my buble algea. And he clears all of the other algea.

08/05/2006, 09:37 PM	#7
n2theblue Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: So. Cal Posts: 1	My emerald crab does such a good job cleaning that sometimes I have to (well maybe I just want to) give him something extra. I just tear off a 1" by 1" or so sheet of nori and hold it out. He will run across the tank to grab it out of my hand and then head back to his favorite cave.

08/05/2006, 09:40 PM	#8
doox00 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Michigan Posts: 928	I have two emerald crabs, one is always out and about and is not shy at all, the other I only see a couple times a week. here is a pic of the outgoing one I took the other day.

08/06/2006, 01:05 PM	#9
chrisstankevitz Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA Posts: 118	Awesome emerald crab! I love those things!

08/06/2006, 02:27 PM	#11
hgbarwick Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Plant City, Florida Posts: 1,390	I have never had any problems wiht emrald crabs.

08/06/2006, 04:40 PM	#13
kass03 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kaukauna, Wi Posts: 2,937	theres mixed views on if they are reef safe. They're suppose to be and eat algae and sometimes eat the bad valonia bubble algae but some have said they've seen them eat polyps or corals sometimes. Alot of crabs will also do this if the polyps are dying also so it's hard to say for sure. I've had a few in my time and never had a problem with them eating corals. kass

08/06/2006, 05:06 PM	#14
druce Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North Liberty, IA Posts: 1,349	heheh, my emrald ate my first three chromis and possibly one of my cleaner shrimp. They say they are reef safe ... that is until they get reef hungry. I guess it just depends on luck really - will you get a well behaved one or not? Many people on here have reported nothing but good thngs about them. In any case, good luck! They are neat creatures to watch.... __________________ Click the red house to see tank pics and my blog and to get the link for my RC tank thread! Current Tank Info: 90 gal AGA RR, 55 gal long for sump, 17g Aquafuge pro as refugium - 2x 150w MH, 2x 96w Actinic

08/06/2006, 05:16 PM	#15
jbrunken Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Marion, IA Posts: 720	My emerald is generally well behavied. I've seen him picking algea off of the rocks right next to the polyps in my tank (he just ignores them). About the worst thing that I've seen him do is rip a stomatella snail apart, but my tank is filled with them so that wasn't a problem. It definitely has a big "wow factor" for the people who look at my tank. BTW, they grow fast (at least mine does). -JB

08/06/2006, 05:23 PM	#16
kass03 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kaukauna, Wi Posts: 2,937	[QUOTE]Originally posted by druce [B]heheh, my emrald ate my first three chromis and possibly one of my cleaner shrimp. They say they are reef safe ... that is until they get reef hungry. did you actually see it grab the choris and kill them? or were they possibly dead or dying and the crab was picking on them? I'm not saying it can't happen but alot of people assume things but did'nt really see it kill anything. kass

08/06/2006, 05:33 PM	#17
druce Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: North Liberty, IA Posts: 1,349	no, I understand what you are saying - and maybe they were, though I doubt it. I just know my fish stopped disappearing when my emerald crab died. The way he died is a little strange. He either killed and ate my shrimp or the shrimp died/was sick - tho never seemed to be the previous days. Anyway the crab ate so much of the shrimp I think he exploded... Normally I'm not one to go around yelling don't get X creature cause of this, I was just giving my 2 cents, I have heard from others too that some emerald crabs get big and gutsy and decide to go for fish and other items for meals. more or less I'm just highlighting my experience with the emerald crab. __________________ Click the red house to see tank pics and my blog and to get the link for my RC tank thread! Current Tank Info: 90 gal AGA RR, 55 gal long for sump, 17g Aquafuge pro as refugium - 2x 150w MH, 2x 96w Actinic

08/06/2006, 07:00 PM	#18
swimboy123 Reef-a-holic Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 154	both mithrax crabs have done wonders for my tank, alwways get one when I got to the LFS