Mithrax Crabs eating coralline algae

yeldarbj · 07/19/2006, 06:55 PM

Is it normal for mithrax crabs to pick the coralline algae off live rock?

I had 2 red crabs and 1 green crab. One of the reds had to find a new home after picking off too much purple coralline algae, leaving spots on my live rock pure white. Now the second red crab is doing the same thing. It seems that the green doesn't bother the coralline so much.

Anyone have this problem before?

Blown 346 · 07/19/2006, 06:58 PM

They will pick algae of liverock, that is what mostly consists of thre diet.

shilo_1 · 07/19/2006, 07:00 PM

I had a green emerald do the same thing about two years ago. When I posted a question similar to yours, pretty much everyone made out that they never did that sort of thing......I know what I saw though. lol

R33f3r · 07/19/2006, 07:32 PM

They will eat coralline when no other algae is present, that being said it helps to spread it as they nibble it.

07/19/2006, 06:55 PM	#1
yeldarbj Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,295	Mithrax Crabs eating coralline algae Is it normal for mithrax crabs to pick the coralline algae off live rock? I had 2 red crabs and 1 green crab. One of the reds had to find a new home after picking off too much purple coralline algae, leaving spots on my live rock pure white. Now the second red crab is doing the same thing. It seems that the green doesn't bother the coralline so much. Anyone have this problem before?

07/19/2006, 07:00 PM	#3
shilo_1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dixon, CA (95620) Posts: 2,857	I had a green emerald do the same thing about two years ago. When I posted a question similar to yours, pretty much everyone made out that they never did that sort of thing......I know what I saw though. lol __________________ Shilo Current Tank Info: FS: 93g Rimless Starphire Cube Setup

07/19/2006, 07:32 PM	#4
R33f3r Anemones Anonymous Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: 29.763N:95.363W Posts: 3,114	They will eat coralline when no other algae is present, that being said it helps to spread it as they nibble it. __________________ Member of the starboard cult.

07/19/2006, 06:58 PM	#2
Blown 346 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 6,596	They will pick algae of liverock, that is what mostly consists of thre diet.