treesprite December 14, 2008 Share December 14, 2008 (edited) Has anyone else heard of emerald crabs eating fish? I put an emerald crab in my tank a couple weeks ago for the algae problem until the tang can go in the tank. I cuaght it eating the cherub angel about 20 minutes ago, a fish which was perfectly healthy and very active a couple hours ago. Last week I discovered that my gramma was/is missing. Both fish frequented a particular small cave which happens to be the only area in the tank where I've seen that crab in the entire time I've had it. The remaining fish are slow and not too difficult to catch, so I think I will put them in the fuge until I get the crab out. If any die while in the fuge, I'll know the crab isn't the killer, but I think it is. I would like to know if anyone else has had experience with emerald crabs killing fish. EDIT - another fish gone! EDIT: CAUGHT THE &%*$(&$(%*& Edited December 15, 2008 by treesprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoothtriqueter December 14, 2008 Share December 14, 2008 I haven't had any problems, and also everyone always see's the crab eating not killing a fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportzfish December 14, 2008 Share December 14, 2008 Has anyone else heard of emerald crabs eating fish? I put an emerald crab in my tank a couple weeks ago for the algae problem until the tang can go in the tank. I cuaght it eating the cherub angel about 20 minutes ago, a fish which was perfectly healthy and very active a couple hours ago. Last week I discovered that my gramma was/is missing. Both fish frequented a particular small cave which happens to be the only area in the tank where I've seen that crab in the entire time I've had it. The remaining fish are slow and not too difficult to catch, so I think I will put them in the fuge until I get the crab out. If any die while in the fuge, I'll know the crab isn't the killer, but I think it is. I would like to know if anyone else has had experience with emerald crabs killing fish. I have seen my emerald crabs in close proximity to the fish without incident and even had my blue damsel nipping at them to get the crabs out of a shared area under a rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.fishnreef.com December 14, 2008 Share December 14, 2008 Are you 100% sure it's an emerald crab? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman December 14, 2008 Share December 14, 2008 Never had a lick of trouble with my green emerald crabs, although I did once suspect a large RED emerald crab of killing snails. To identify, the claws on an emerald crab are basically FLAT on the pincer side. And you won't have any valonia (green bubbles) anywhere it can get to. I just ordered a few more, because obviously the one in my 58 is missing in action - valonia starting to grow everywhere. bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motti December 14, 2008 Share December 14, 2008 Never had a lick of trouble with my green emerald crabs, although I did once suspect a large RED emerald crab of killing snails. To identify, the claws on an emerald crab are basically FLAT on the pincer side. And you won't have any valonia (green bubbles) anywhere it can get to. I just ordered a few more, because obviously the one in my 58 is missing in action - valonia starting to grow everywhere. bob My emerald crabs grew huge in the last year an a half, some of them are over 2" big at the moment, with huge claws, however i never seen them pick at anything beside green algae i once had a starfish with a taste for fish, i had this long nose butterfly that he took care of once it was injured... but like i said i never had any problems with those emerald crabs even those they could easily catch fish, and sometimes when the fish bother them they stand on their legs and open their claws, but i never seen them attack anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller December 14, 2008 Share December 14, 2008 99% chance the fish was dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrubberbandman December 14, 2008 Share December 14, 2008 99% chance the fish was dead. 1% chance the fish was not dead...and your emerald got lucky (vegas style)....maybe when the lights were off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 14, 2008 Author Share December 14, 2008 (edited) ANOTHER healthy fish gone!!! One of my firefish is now missing, just since the last several hours. I have/had a pair that are/were inseparable so I'm absolutely certain it isn't just hiding out somewhere. I read some some around - seems there are some rogue emeralds. The first two fish, the gramma and angel, liked hanging out in that one area where I found the crab eating the angel - crab probably has been hiding out under the cave laying in wait for them... maybe that's why it looks like there is no dent in the algae that is covering those same rocks. Da*n crab. Edited December 14, 2008 by treesprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astroboy December 15, 2008 Share December 15, 2008 I had what was sold to me as a green crab, and when it got to be about 2.5 inches across I had some small fish turn up dead with large chunks bitten out of them, but otherwise completely undamaged. As soon as I got rid of the crab, no more fish with pieces missing..... I think the jury would convict... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach December 15, 2008 Share December 15, 2008 I had an emerald crab eat all my fish in a tank before I am 100% sure it was an emerald crab. I've also had hermits eat fish....In my opinion it has to do with size of the fish vs handicap vs abush point vs crab. Anyway I've actaully seen my zebras or redlegs chasing my shrimp for hours...Smaller tanks seem to be more vunerable for this:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 15, 2008 Author Share December 15, 2008 I had an emerald crab eat all my fish in a tank before I am 100% sure it was an emerald crab. I've also had hermits eat fish....In my opinion it has to do with size of the fish vs handicap vs abush point vs crab. Anyway I've actaully seen my zebras or redlegs chasing my shrimp for hours...Smaller tanks seem to be more vunerable for this:( Here's the man I was waiting for. I couldn't remember whether or not it was an emerald crab that killed your fish or some other crab. I caught the 2 pajama cardinals and still have to catch the firefish, and took out anything not glued or encrusted to the LR, to make it easier to catch the crab, and pulled off as much hair algae as I could so that the crab won't blend in so easily. Maybe I should take out some of the nassarius snails so they don't go into the crab trap that I'm about to put into the tank. To make matters worse, having my arm in the tank so much today has caused my frogspawn stings to swell back up like they were the other day and to itch insanely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 15, 2008 Author Share December 15, 2008 I CAUGHT IT. It had to be this crab that killed the fish. He was exactly where I figured he was, in a hole under the cave where the angel and gramma liked to hang out... I spied him sticking out a claw. I was trying to coax him out with a 1" piece of fish and the sucker yanked it away from me and ran with it into a hole to eat it. About 10 minutes later I held a 3"x1" piece of fish in front of him and he yanked so hard I was afraid he'd pull it away from me... he got a chunk of it, enough to keep him from coming after the rest. I got a long thin flexible cat toy stick (minus the feathers) and chased him out from the hole and from under that cave, and when he ran out in the open I got him with the net. The beast is now in the sump's 4x4 overflow section (goes to fuge), with nothing to hide in or under. He should not need to eat for several days after all of the fish flesh he's eaten over the past week. The idiot hung onto a piece of fish the entire time he was in the net being dumped into the overflow, and just went on eating it after being dumped! I'm not putting this monster in the tomato clown tank with its brothers, I'm too pissed at it so maybe I'll trade it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoothtriqueter December 15, 2008 Share December 15, 2008 I had an emerald crab eat all my fish in a tank before I am 100% sure it was an emerald crab. I've also had hermits eat fish....In my opinion it has to do with size of the fish vs handicap vs abush point vs crab. Anyway I've actaully seen my zebras or redlegs chasing my shrimp for hours...Smaller tanks seem to be more vunerable for this:( You saw this happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind December 15, 2008 Share December 15, 2008 I CAUGHT IT. You should give it to "extreme tooth decay" for his next "Crustacean Wars" video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmubeach December 15, 2008 Share December 15, 2008 Yep, I saw my old clownfish attacked by the emerald crab he would wait until they came close and then try and grab them.... The hermits I've seen chasing the shrimp all over the tank, but they aren't fast enough to catch them... I also had a hermit eat a jawfish... he was in his hole and the hermit went right down in the hole a few hours later no more jawfish .... I was so mad basically crabs are hit and miss, but in a small tank they can be devistating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b December 15, 2008 Share December 15, 2008 Emerald crabs will kill fish, that's why its best to get small ones. I have one small one and a week ago he reached out and nipped my Mandarin goby. The goby shot off across the tank, turned a weird pale color and started sliming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 15, 2008 Author Share December 15, 2008 Emerald crabs will kill fish, that's why its best to get small ones. I have one small one and a week ago he reached out and nipped my Mandarin goby. The goby shot off across the tank, turned a weird pale color and started sliming. So did the mandarin survive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav December 16, 2008 Share December 16, 2008 99% chance the fish was dead. Wrong again Chip 99.999999995% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 19, 2008 Author Share December 19, 2008 I ended up taking 2 out of my clown tank abotu half an hour ago (1 left in there). It was sitting a couple inches back from the glass in front of teh rock waiting with claws raised. Every time I moved my finger on teh glass it moved in that direction. Then a small nassarius snail that had been near, went directly in front of the crab and the second it did, the crab snatched it up, flipped it over, and started eating it in a matter of seconds. I put the net in the tank and the crab just raised its incers to it waving them around, wouldn't even run from me. Then I found a second one and snagged him too. What beasts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller December 19, 2008 Share December 19, 2008 must see pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite December 19, 2008 Author Share December 19, 2008 must see pic Don't have one, but it would have been nice for educational purposes. I can't believe how many times I typed "the" wrong in my last post. For some reason my fingers can't do that sequence of letters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extreme_tooth_decay December 19, 2008 Share December 19, 2008 I put the net in the tank and the crab just raised its incers to it waving them around, wouldn't even run from me. That's what THIS one did last night when I moved him from a specimen container to a bucket. He pinched me a bunch of times when I tried to grab him, so I ended up just dumping him. I'm used to crabs running, but this guy just stands his ground and fights. Even without his sword! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now