Jan March 23, 2009 March 23, 2009 I have an emerald crab that appears to be eating coral. This crab would hang out hugging a kenya tree and eat algae all day. It wasn't a problem. It never showed any interest in coral. Now it looks like it's sampling the base of some new coral. I think it's the emerald crab. I don't have anything else that could pick at the stem of coral like this. I tried catching it but of course I couldn't. I need to get it out. How do I do this? Once it's out, what do I do with it?
Sugar Magnolia March 23, 2009 March 23, 2009 (edited) Prop a glass up against the area it hangs out, and drop a pellet of food or a piece of shrimp in the glass. Crab goes in to snack, but can't get back out. Edit to add, I've never had an emerald eat any of my corals, I've just seen them cleaning up any algae/detritus around the corals. Look around to see if you can find any aeolid nudibranchs - check at night. Edited March 23, 2009 by Sugar Magnolia
Sugar Magnolia March 23, 2009 March 23, 2009 Whatever you do, don't give him a weapon! I love that! Years ago I had an emerald in my 7g bowfront that used to climb to the highest rock and lunge at me whenever I had my hand in the tank for maintenence. Mean little bugger. Over the years, I've decided that the female mithrax crabs are much more docile than the males.
hbh April 3, 2009 April 3, 2009 Jan, If you do catch him and want to give him a new home, I'll take him in my tank as I only have mushrooms and lots of algae for him to eat. LMK. Thanks! LOL! That was a funny crab!
Jan April 3, 2009 Author April 3, 2009 Jan,If you do catch him and want to give him a new home, I'll take him in my tank as I only have mushrooms and lots of algae for him to eat. LMK. Thanks! LOL! That was a funny crab! Ahh wish I could but crabb'ys DOA as of two days ago. I found him stiff as a board on a rock. Looked like he was walking down the rock. Really weird. He was in that fixed position for about 10 minutes before I decided to try and feed him. I knew something was wrong when he didn't take the seaweed from my hand, duh. I bumped him a little and he toppled over. Very strange because the week before he moltted so I thought he was doing very well. He was a gorgeous green after the molt. He looked really healthy. I kinda miss seeing him hugging and stroking the kenya tree while almost laying flat on his back. He was a hoot.
astroboy April 7, 2009 April 7, 2009 Whatever you do, don't give him a weapon! "If he comes at you with a fist, you come at him with a bat. If he comes at you with a bat, you come at him with a knife. If he comes at you with a knife, you come at him with a gun". Wish I could sphell it like Sean OConnery in the Untoushables..... After my green (or whatever it was) crab ate three or four gobies and 3/4th of a clown I came after him with a heavy duty stainless steel thongs and a needle nose pliers. I had to move 30 lbs of life rock in my 75, but in the end I emerged victorious. The crab emerged in pieces. Had to be done, I'd do it all over again. "Without Remorse", like the Tom Clancy novel. I wonder how a mouse trap would have worked. It never fell for any of the bait in the maze traps I devised..... With the copper in the traps, probably not so well.... Never did see the animal go after coral, I will say that for him....
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