Advice in how to remove a gorilla crab?

razord · 02/13/2017, 01:32 PM

Looking for some suggestions. I'm trying to avoid removing rocks. Any tips on trapping/removing?

Thanks!

Sk8r · 02/13/2017, 02:48 PM

Suggestion 1---remove rock.
Suggestion 2---bottle trap. 1/2 liter wine carafe works well for this: use glass. Crab goes for bait, bottle slightly tilted amid rocks. Crab can't climb slick walls.

razord · 02/13/2017, 02:54 PM

What's a good bait?

Sk8r · 02/13/2017, 03:18 PM

raw shrimp

heathlindner25 · 02/13/2017, 04:59 PM

I saw another Thread about this in a different section about using electricity?

CrayolaViolence · 02/13/2017, 05:08 PM

This might be ridiculous, but have you tried fishing for the crab like people do crayfish and crabs and such? Put some bait on a string let it grab it then just lift it out of the tank?

QuiGonJay · 02/13/2017, 09:20 PM

Shrimp and a tilted bottle works quite well.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Ztous · 02/13/2017, 11:12 PM

I couldn't never use the tilted bottle trick. Caught everything but what I wanted it to. Have you tried netting at night? They typically get a lot bolder and you can catch them.

pfan151 · 02/14/2017, 09:29 AM

Can you see it in the rock? I'd probably try to poke it with a skewer.

razord · 02/14/2017, 11:18 AM

tried that several times. He's at a tough spot to get at most of the time.

nanosteve309 · 02/14/2017, 03:04 PM

As annoying as it is, removing the rock is your best bet

razord · 02/21/2017, 08:40 PM

I gave in and removed the rock. Got him! (And one other baby one)

Hitch08 · 02/21/2017, 08:58 PM

I have a rock about is a bit bigger than the size of my fist which sits by itself towards the front of my tank. Those crabs can't seem to resist taking over that rock. They usually dig down below the rock just a bit - that's when I know a crab is there. Pick up the rock. End of the crab.

schnebbles · 02/22/2017, 07:57 AM

Reading this makes me suspect I have one. I saw it one time and not long or close enough to know what it was. It looked "dusty" and when I looked up gorilla crab to see what you were talking about, I think that might be it. I have not seen it again since the initial sighting but no doubt it's still in there.

I got a pom pom crab who I never see either. I guess it's still in there, as luck would have it, the day I saw one, I did see the other one too so I know it's not just one.

razord · 02/22/2017, 09:55 AM

I left mine in there too long, but he's been eating corals and most of my serpent stars legs so I finally sucked it up and took 80% of the rocks out of my tank. Unfortunately, during all the fuss, I didn't notice my goby jumped out. I found him on the floor this morning. I guess he was collateral damage.

02/13/2017, 01:32 PM	#1
razord Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 111	Advice in how to remove a gorilla crab? Looking for some suggestions. I'm trying to avoid removing rocks. Any tips on trapping/removing? Thanks!

02/13/2017, 02:48 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Suggestion 1---remove rock. Suggestion 2---bottle trap. 1/2 liter wine carafe works well for this: use glass. Crab goes for bait, bottle slightly tilted amid rocks. Crab can't climb slick walls. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/13/2017, 03:18 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	raw shrimp __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/13/2017, 05:08 PM	#6
CrayolaViolence Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,867	This might be ridiculous, but have you tried fishing for the crab like people do crayfish and crabs and such? Put some bait on a string let it grab it then just lift it out of the tank? __________________ "The good thing about science is that it's true whether you believe it or not." Neil deGrasse Tyson Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef tank

02/21/2017, 08:58 PM	#13
Hitch08 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Philly Suburbs Posts: 665	I have a rock about is a bit bigger than the size of my fist which sits by itself towards the front of my tank. Those crabs can't seem to resist taking over that rock. They usually dig down below the rock just a bit - that's when I know a crab is there. Pick up the rock. End of the crab. __________________ 120g tank with 40g breeder sump. SVS-30 LifeReef Skimmer. EcoTech Radion Pros.

02/13/2017, 02:54 PM	#3
razord Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 111	What's a good bait?

02/13/2017, 04:59 PM	#5
heathlindner25 Moved On Join Date: May 2012 Location: flowery branch georgia Posts: 3,644	I saw another Thread about this in a different section about using electricity?

02/13/2017, 09:20 PM	#7
QuiGonJay Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 327	Shrimp and a tilted bottle works quite well. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

02/13/2017, 11:12 PM	#8
Ztous Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 220	I couldn't never use the tilted bottle trick. Caught everything but what I wanted it to. Have you tried netting at night? They typically get a lot bolder and you can catch them.

02/14/2017, 09:29 AM	#9
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	Can you see it in the rock? I'd probably try to poke it with a skewer.

02/14/2017, 11:18 AM	#10
razord Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 111	tried that several times. He's at a tough spot to get at most of the time.

02/14/2017, 03:04 PM	#11
nanosteve309 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Posts: 62	As annoying as it is, removing the rock is your best bet

02/21/2017, 08:40 PM	#12
razord Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 111	I gave in and removed the rock. Got him! (And one other baby one)

02/22/2017, 07:57 AM	#14
schnebbles Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 475	Reading this makes me suspect I have one. I saw it one time and not long or close enough to know what it was. It looked "dusty" and when I looked up gorilla crab to see what you were talking about, I think that might be it. I have not seen it again since the initial sighting but no doubt it's still in there. I got a pom pom crab who I never see either. I guess it's still in there, as luck would have it, the day I saw one, I did see the other one too so I know it's not just one.

02/22/2017, 09:55 AM	#15
razord Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 111	I left mine in there too long, but he's been eating corals and most of my serpent stars legs so I finally sucked it up and took 80% of the rocks out of my tank. Unfortunately, during all the fuss, I didn't notice my goby jumped out. I found him on the floor this morning. I guess he was collateral damage.