Bad Hitchikers

[kp1917]

Hi all, I would post this on the Newby site but don't want to hear anymore BS about TBS hitchikers and how great dead rock rubble from Fiji is.

So...I found a gorilla crab last night hiding in a next to impossible to remove from cavern. Big room inside but only two small holes for entering or exiting.

I know they are bad, but why? And since we are on the subject, can we have list of what are the bad ones and what they do that makes them bad?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

KP

[seastarUSC]

I found 3 tiny gorillas on my rock yesterday and they don't want to be relocated either. I'm not worried about them eating my other inhabitants yet since they're so little, but I heard they grow fast and hurt their tank-mates. When they get bigger and can't hide in the little crevices, then they'll meet the tweezers or worse!

[ReefRob]

I have seen a medium-sized gorilla crab dragging a hermit to a hole ... I'm sure the bigger ones are capable of worse.

I've found that if you are ready with a long dowel in hand when the lights come on in the morning they seem blinded or less wary and you can crush them ... not too subtle I know but I have had absolutely no luck with any of the trapping methods mentioned anywhere so I've lowered my operating standards.

[delta]

well in time you will have coral or do already right?

well i am sure your gorilla crabs will love you for giving them such a nice and tasty meal. they are also known to grab a hold a of a fish
As for removal patience is key. glass jars work wonders, lean a empty glass jar clean of all glue and and labels agaisnt the LR near where he travels you may get lucky once he falls in he can't walk out its that simple but it is slow. I also use the skewer\finger method if in a crevace and you can only jab with thin object nothing beats a skewer and a trip to my mantis tank, but if i find them feeding on something nothing is as easy as a quick grab they act diferent when a large hand decend s on them they seem to hunker down and try to blend in. so if i can't grab hold i squish them. but that a disapointing meal for my mantis he like them alive.

Mantis well they love crustations- snails, hermits, crabs as well as barnacles etc. they will indeed help you rid you tank of any unwanted crabs, but they dont discriminate good crabs are fair game as well to them. unless you have a spearer mantis then fish are fair game

[hdtran]

Kp,

There's a picture on the TBS site on crabs.

In my opinion, the only good crab is a dead crab (no, just kidding). The only good crab is the porcelain crab, which is a filter feeder. All other crabs (including hermits) can potentially pick at other stuff. Porcelains are obligate filter feeders. The easiest way to ID the porcelain crabs is counting the legs. Check out the other posts here for photos too.

Once the gorillas (or red emeralds) get used to your tank, they may occassionally wander to a piece of small rock, or on the substrate, to go after leftover food (esp. the gorillas). Then is the time to snatch them with a net.

Hy