A hitchhiker crab

[Leelalie]

Hi
My reef is now 5 weeks on. A few nights ago I saw a crab for the first time. Surely a clandestine in my live rock.
Since I have been looking to identify the critter but no success. Please can someone tell me what type of crab?

 

[KJ]

Welcome toR2R!!! Put him in the sump. Bad for reef tanks!

 

[Leelalie]

Welcome toR2R!!! Put him in the sump. Bad for reef tanks!

Thank you for your answer, do you have a name for this crab please

 

[Leelalie]

In the end I have two hitchhiker crabs. Yesterday i found one belly up. I took photos of the little critter, Last night a similar crap came out.

 

[Leelalie]

I Found the name of this crab it is a pilodius. Not much information on how the react in reef aquariums

 

[Strangewaterchange]

Stone crab I believe, they can grow large and will kill and eat anything they can grab

 

[Leelalie]

Thank you, would like to get it out of the rock but it does not move only to hide deeper.

 

[MabuyaQ]

Used to have one of these in my 150 gallon that also came in with some live rock when I set the tank up. It is mainly an algae eater, but they do eat meat (drifting food, dead animals). They do not actively hunt animals in my experience. Had it for 7 or 8 years during which it shared its cave at night with my yellow tang. Grew the size of my hand and could hand feed it (It prefered nori over anything else).
Most of these crabs are opportunistic scavengers that get blamed for killing something that was already dead or dying when we find them next to a mangled corpse.

 

[Strangewaterchange]

I think more people end up having a negative experience with these guys, usually don't discover them until their 600 dollar anthias is missing. But I'm sure just like fish, every specimen has its own personality. I would personally sump the whole rock its in and not risk it but if you do leave it in the DT maybe it will pay off like MabuyaQ's experience, but also maybe not. Just know there's definitely a big risk.

 

[Leelalie]

I do not have a sump.... My tank is 15 gallon. At this stage I do not have any corals or fish. I will see what to do in a few weeks. But as I do not want crabs I probably take it to the store where I bought my rock