Found a large crab in my tank.

[mosheikh]

Yesterday I found a large black colored crab, big claws, and hairy legs. 3.5" atleast.

Heres a picture..

 

 

 

Any ideas on trying to catch him? I looked today, and cant seem to find it.

 

 

Thanks,

Mohsin

[edkruzel]

Looks like a common gorilla crab and of course not a welcomed newcomer to a reef tank or FO with smaller specimens. You can try adding a bottle or glass on a 45 degree angle with krill or shrimp in the bottom. The crab can climb in but can't climb out. In the morning simply remove the glass and discard the crab. The easiest way is to find the hole in which it hides and with a thin wooded dowel or piece of rigid airline tubing, stab it several times killing it and then allow other fauna to clean up the mess.

[Highland Reefer]

If you catch him, you could give the crab to extreme_tooth_decay for his Mantis Shrimp. If were lucky, he'll make a video for us to watch. Hee hee.

[mosheikh]

Looks like a common gorilla crab and of course not a welcomed newcomer to a reef tank or FO with smaller specimens. You can try adding a bottle or glass on a 45 degree angle with krill or shrimp in the bottom. The crab can climb in but can't climb out. In the morning simply remove the glass and discard the crab. The easiest way is to find the hole in which it hides and with a thin wooded dowel or piece of rigid airline tubing, stab it several times killing it and then allow other fauna to clean up the mess.

Thanks, I'll try that tonight.

 

If you catch him, you could give the crab to extreme_tooth_decay for his Mantis Shrimp. If were lucky, he'll make a video for us to watch. Hee hee.

Haha, yeah I'll let him know whenever I catch it. I hope soon.

[mosheikh]

Finally caught him....

[treesprite]

there are some big claws on that crab

[DaveS]

Can you share how you caught him?

[Guest webshout]

Menacing!

[Highland Reefer]

Are they edible? I think you ought to throw him back and let him grow for a while.

[treesprite]

Are they edible? I think you ought to throw him back and let him grow for a while.

 

I'm sure the mantis will find it so.

[gmubeach]

Cool catch:)

[davelin315]

Can you get a better picture of it? The claws are awfully large and would seem to be more for show based on how big they actually are.

[mosheikh]

Can you share how you caught him?

Yesterday morning I saw the crab on the left side of the tank. So I decided to take down the left side of my aquascape to take the crab out. I wasn't sure if the bottle trap would work.

 

Are they edible? I think you ought to throw him back and let him grow for a while.

Haha, yeah right. It was a pain to get him out.

 

I'm sure the mantis will find it so.

Unfortunately the crab died. After I took all the rocks out, I couldn't find the crab. So I shined light in all the holes and eventually found him. He wasnt coming out the rock, so I just had to pull it out.

 

 

Can you get a better picture of it? The claws are awfully large and would seem to be more for show based on how big they actually are.

I can try.

[CHUBAKAH]

I hear that type of crab is wonderful with a lil Old Bay!