Is this crab trying to eat my fish?

[fishcasa]

My wife caught this video first thing this morning. I think the fish were still sleeping. We got the emerald crab (The Incredible Hulk) yesterday. Are the fish safe?

 

http://albums.phanfare.com/3552098/3216748#imageID=57460045

 

P.S. Just posted the video on phanfare so it might only be viewable with IE until Phanfare converts it to flash.

Edited January 4, 2009 by fishcasa

[extreme_tooth_decay]

They're a mean bunch. That clown looked dead to me. Maybe it looked dead to the emerald, too.

 

Check out what happened to me: LINK

[jason the filter freak]

if they dont have enouth to eat theyll go after what ever is easiest to eat

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Maybe if the first clown hadn't of antagonized it, the crab wouldn't of gone after the second clown.

[epleeds]

i recently put one in my tank and he decided to start picking at my neon green birdsnet....never thought that would happen. 1/2 of the coral doesnt look so good...hopefully it will come back.

[lanman]

My wife caught this video first thing this morning. I think the fish were still sleeping. We got the emerald crab (The Incredible Hulk) yesterday. Are the fish safe?

 

http://albums.phanfare.com/3552098/3216748#imageID=57460045

 

P.S. Just posted the video on phanfare so it might only be viewable with IE until Phanfare converts it to flash.

 

Emeralds don't really have the tools to attack and eat your fish - flat pincers, etc. But they will certainly pick at the remains of a dead one. Maybe he just was just checking out the neighborhood. I lost my biggest emerald crab a couple of weeks ago, and I can already see a bit of valonia starting to take hold in my frag tank. Need to get another. A shame, because I just added three of them to my tanks about a month ago - would have put one in the frag tank if I'd known the old guy was going to up and die on me. He'd been keeping the valonia out of my frag tank for over a year. On the plus side, I saw one of the tiny little new ones picking valonia in my display tank,out of a place where a larger crab or fish wouldn't be able to work.

 

bob

[Jon Lazar]

My wife caught this video first thing this morning. I think the fish were still sleeping. We got the emerald crab (The Incredible Hulk) yesterday. Are the fish safe?

 

http://albums.phanfare.com/3552098/3216748#imageID=57460045

 

P.S. Just posted the video on phanfare so it might only be viewable with IE until Phanfare converts it to flash.

 

I think emerald crabs are no match for a healthy fish. Emeralds are relatively small, are relatively slow, and don't have any special attacks. Sure, we've all seen extra-ordinary sized crabs before, but they're easily evaded by only the tiniest fish. I have kept small fish like neon gobies with regular size emerald crabs for years, and never lost a goby. Most crabs are omnivores though, so if you have a very sick or dead fish I'm sure the emerald crab will try to eat it.

 

I would be more concerned about why your second clownfish was laying on its side on the bottom of the tank. That's usually not a good sign for the clownfish, and I would watch him closely for other symptoms. I've had oscellaris clowns for years and I've never seen clowns act like that. I check my fish about 0500 when the lights are out while I'm getting ready for work.

 

Jon

[lanman]

Yeah... my clown stays in motion all night, in a corner of the tank.

 

bob

[fishcasa]

Thanks for the replies. I was really worried about the clown too when I saw the video but I haven't seen any other weird behavior or symptoms of illness. Normally when they sleep they stay moving over in one corner of the tank.

[treesprite]

A fish doesn't have to be unhealthy or dead, it could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time, within the reach of the crab. Emerald crabs are very strong and all they have to do is reach up and grab. If the fish is too slow to avoid getting grabbed or is in a spot where it can just dart away when it feels something touch it (like in a tight cave), that could well be the end of it.

 

I had a couple fish that liked sleeping under a particular cave. Within a couple weeks of putting an emerald crab in that tank, I found the crab next to the cave eating a fish that was perfectly healthy when I looked at it a couple hours earlier, and the other fish that liked the cave went "missing". I found out that the crab was living under that cave. I dangled a piece of raw fish(grocery) the size of those 2 dead/missing fish in front of the cave and the crab yanked it out of my fingers and pulled it deeper into a hole and ate it before I could blink.

[fishcasa]

Thanks treesprite, that is what I was afraid of. The clowns are tank raised and may not be as saavy about predators as wild ones. Anyone have sugesstions for catching a crab?

 

A fish doesn't have to be unhealthy or dead, it could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time, within the reach of the crab. Emerald crabs are very strong and all they have to do is reach up and grab. If the fish is too slow to avoid getting grabbed or is in a spot where it can just dart away when it feels something touch it (like in a tight cave), that could well be the end of it.

 

I had a couple fish that liked sleeping under a particular cave. Within a couple weeks of putting an emerald crab in that tank, I found the crab next to the cave eating a fish that was perfectly healthy when I looked at it a couple hours earlier, and the other fish that liked the cave went "missing". I found out that the crab was living under that cave. I dangled a piece of raw fish(grocery) the size of those 2 dead/missing fish in front of the cave and the crab yanked it out of my fingers and pulled it deeper into a hole and ate it before I could blink.

[L8 2 RISE]

Reach your hand in when you see it and grab it, at least thats what I do when I see some valonia and an emerald thats not eating it . I really dont see a point though, its half the size of those clowns and even if it wanted to, which I doubt, probably couldn't get the fish.