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03/03/2012, 07:06 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4
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Good Crab or Bad Crab?
He seems to eat off the rock a lot. Also may be picking at corals or around them can't tell yet. He came with LR 2 days ago.
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03/03/2012, 08:45 PM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 12
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looks like an emerald crab, harmless eats algae off the rocks...or might be something else but id just leave it be for now and watch him periodically.
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03/03/2012, 08:46 PM
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#3 |
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Chartered Accountant
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 2,219
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General rule with crabs:
If it looks mean, it most likely is mean. Take it out just to be safe. I don't have any crabs in my tank.
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- Shaginwagon - Current Tank Info: 550 Gallon SPS Reef l 200 Gallon Sump l Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 l Return Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead l Tank Circulation: (2) Maxspect Gyre XF280 l Lighting: (3) 400w Halides & (3) AI Hydra 52 HD |
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03/03/2012, 09:56 PM
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#4 |
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Premium Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Fort Worth, TX USA
Posts: 8,267
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Need a way better pic than that. I can't even tell if I'm looking at the top or bottom, and I can't clearly see the body shape or the claw shape.
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Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank |
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03/03/2012, 10:11 PM
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#5 |
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Dr. Reef at ur service
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in my experience crabs are usually at some point not reef safe.
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Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE |
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03/04/2012, 01:18 AM
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#6 | |
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Chartered Accountant
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 2,219
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Quote:
__________________
- Shaginwagon - Current Tank Info: 550 Gallon SPS Reef l 200 Gallon Sump l Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 l Return Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead l Tank Circulation: (2) Maxspect Gyre XF280 l Lighting: (3) 400w Halides & (3) AI Hydra 52 HD |
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03/04/2012, 07:35 AM
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#7 | |
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Gallantly Forward
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 563
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Quote:
As Sushigirl said, you may want to post pictures for a better PID. On the other hand, the claw reminds me of a decorator crab. You can google "decorater crabs" and see if you that is it. I kept one in my sump for some time for food for my mantis shrimp. When I put him in the tank, he ended up shredding up some zoanthids and green star polyp for his camouflage. Made a mess of the green star polyp and got it EVERYWHERE in my tank. I am still fighting to remove the polyps from my live rock. He also caught and killed my scooter blenny in the middle of the night before the mantis finally got to him. Anyways, good luck on your PID; I don't like crabs. |
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03/04/2012, 08:57 AM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 119
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The hairy legs make me think he's an emerald crab. I watched mine yesterday as he picked around my Zoa. I thought he was attacking it, but with a magnifying glass I could see he was plucking the algae from around it and eating it. Not saying he's reef safe, just that mine has behaved well.
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03/04/2012, 09:16 AM
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#9 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Blue Springs, MO
Posts: 7
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Hermits are the ONLY crabs in my tank. Had bad luck with too many "reef safe" crabs. I've got a sump full of "no he'll be just fine" crabs!
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03/04/2012, 09:27 AM
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#10 | |
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~Just a Farm Boy~
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Central Indiana
Posts: 1,651
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Quote:
Best answer, I would get it out and I'm speaking from exprience, not playing following the leader.
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Sport If you do not test for it, DON'T dose it. Indiana INDMAS Member |
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03/04/2012, 04:08 PM
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#11 |
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Premium Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Fort Worth, TX USA
Posts: 8,267
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I've actually never had a bad experience with a crab in 5 years with 4 tanks. I have no idea why other than they're well-fed. I have had issues with a well-fed cleaner shrimp, though. Go figure.
__________________
Visit my Homepage or "My Albums" (via Profile) for hitchhiker pics. Current Tank Info: 55g softy/LPS tank & 20L reef tank |
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03/04/2012, 04:21 PM
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#12 |
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MASC Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Littleton, CO
Posts: 2,267
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I barely trust my hermits, I have a dozen or so in my 55g. They eat my snails and kill them for their shells. They crawl ALL OVER coral and upset my coral. I have never seen them eat my coral though. I would not trust emerald crabs or any other crab though, hermits is pushing it as it is.
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https://www.marinecolorado.org/ 180, 90 and 50 gallon reef ready systems. Fragging & trading since 2010. Current Tank Info: 180g, 90g & 50g frag tank |
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03/04/2012, 05:16 PM
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#13 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Belleville IL
Posts: 80
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Be safe, remove it. You won't miss it.
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03/04/2012, 06:23 PM
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#14 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: AWOL
Posts: 12,013
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All crabs are omnivores. They eat both plant and animal. No crab, including hermits, can be considered "harmless algae eaters." The "claws" on crabs are not for picking algae off of rocks. They are for catching things that move. Crabs are not mean or deliberate, but at some point or another, they will be true to their biology, true to their nature. Not having problems with them, is not indicative of their nature, as very well exampled with Emeralds, who "eat bubble algae," yet cause havoc in a tank, with inverts and fish going missing.
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"Things should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." (oft attributed to Einstein; most likely paraphrasing by Roger Sessions; compactly articulates the principle of Occam's Razor) Current Tank Info: 325 6' wide Reef |
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03/05/2012, 08:24 PM
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#15 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 4
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updated pics....what is he?
Thanks for all the advice, this guy has been hiding out in a big cave, he came out for a short time
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03/05/2012, 08:58 PM
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#16 | |
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Team RC member
 
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Quote:
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Warmest regards, ~Steve~ |
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03/05/2012, 09:12 PM
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#17 | |
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Dr. Reef at ur service
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Quote:
All crabs are omnivores. They eat both plant and animal. No crab, including hermits, can be considered "harmless algae eaters." The "claws" on crabs are not for picking algae off of rocks. They are for catching things that move. Crabs are not mean or deliberate, but at some point or another, they will be true to their biology, true to their nature. Not having problems with them, is not indicative of their nature, as very well exampled with Emeralds, who "eat bubble algae," yet cause havoc in a tank, with inverts and fish going missing. My sentiments exactly. No crabs for me.
__________________
Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE |
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03/06/2012, 02:24 AM
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#18 | |
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BadMotorScooter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Oregon
Posts: 291
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Quote:
 Cheers,
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Ron C Member DFWMAS, ARC and Reefcentral Current Tank Info: IM LAGOON 25G mixed reef |
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