Best way to catch Emerald Crab?

[WallysWorld]

I want to remove my Emerald Crab after he's eaten over $200 of my coral :mad:.

I tried to make a trap using a water bottle. Cut about 2 inches off the top, turned it around and reinserted it in the bottle. Placed a small amount of raw fish in the bottle, then sunk the bottle and placed it near the location where the crab hangs out. No bites over night.

I'll keep trying, but is there a better trap? I've tried to net him but he's too fast and there are too many protected places in the rock work.

Help!

 

[Jrainey312]

Only way I've done it is early morning when the lights are out and I get a flash light and grab them

 

[Retro Reefer]

Not to say it wouldn’t potentially happen but what makes you think your emerald crab is eating your corals? I have had them in just about all my tanks over the years and have never witnessed that.. They feed mostly on algae and potentially scaveng on dead things. they can aggravate corals by occasionally knocking them over, climbing over them or pick at them during feedings times, mine will also occasionally grab the mantle of my clam but has never really damaged anything.

 

[ThunderGoose]

I have had one emerald that munched coral and several who didn't. I was able to reach in and grab it by hand at feeding time. Partly luck and partly just going for it without hesitation.

Don't worry, they don't pinch hard.

 

[islandguy85]

I have had success with this in the past but they rust out after use:

 

[islandguy85]

Also, low light helps

 

[WallysWorld]

Not to say it wouldn’t potentially happen but what makes you think your emerald crab is eating your corals? I have had them in just about all my tanks over the years and have never witnessed that.. They feed mostly on algae and potentially scaveng on dead things. they can aggravate corals by occasionally knocking them over, climbing over them or pick at them during feedings times, mine will also occasionally grab the mantle of my clam but has never really damaged anything.

I actually watched him eating my Lord Acan.....

 

[SPEEDBUMP1204]

I used a mason jar baited with the coral he trashed and pellets. Propped the jar against the rocks so he had a way of getting in. I had him caught in less than 30 min.

 

[wesman42]

Legit have 0 patience for inverts that destroy coral. Take him and ban him to the sump if possible!

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

trigger fish will hunt him for you...but then you have to catch the trigger

 

[WallysWorld]

I have two emeralds in my tank. Caught the first using a plastic water bottle trap baited with mysis. Second one is less aggressive and not taking the bait as quickly. Patience!

 

[datBme150]

hammer. more so for use after you catch them. I had one mow through 3 jawbreakers

 

[WallysWorld]

My second crab is still in my tank after removing the really aggressive one ~3 weeks ago. This one is much more timid and well behaved. She molted this weekend and I was able to sex her from the skeleton she left behind. Wondering if maybe the females are better than the males. The one I caught was a male. After molting she's now huge, main body is now about the size of a quarter! Hopefully she remains docile and stays away from things I don't want her to eat!

 

[islandguy85]

Yeah I felt the same way until a $150 tang wound up dead. Live and learn. Stupid little crab not worth it.

 

[RickyMcG]

I bought an emerald crab to mow down hair algae outbreak in my new tank (was away on vacation). Perfect solution, but once the algae was gone he went after my coral — in spite of my attempts to pacify him with seaweed sheets.

He made a mess of the tank, pulling an acorn frag into the rock work, knocking various corals off the rock, disappearing a brand-new zoa.

It took a lot of patience, but a small jar leaned against the rock work did the trick. Baited it with shrimp for a week or so. Forgot to bait the trap last night, but this morning...success! Guess he just wandered in to see what he could find.

Now I can return to the LFS and put the tank back to rights.

 

[RickyMcG]

I bought an emerald crab to mow down hair algae outbreak in my new tank (was away on vacation). Perfect solution, but once the algae was gone he went after my coral — in spite of my attempts to pacify him with seaweed sheets.

He made a mess of the tank, pulling an acorn frag into the rock work, knocking various corals off the rock, disappearing a brand-new zoa.

It took a lot of patience, but a small jar leaned against the rock work did the trick. Baited it with shrimp for a week or so. Forgot to bait the trap last night, but this morning...success! Guess he just wandered in to see what he could find.

Now I can return to the LFS and put the tank back to rights.

Make that Acan coral (stupid spellcheck)

 

[Ghost463]

Thats strange!!
Actually i never see my emerald crab. I wonder if it wpuld be easier to rehouse some of the other hebie inverts.

 

[W Haymaker]

I have 20 inch tweezers that I put a small piece of nori on. I move it around the rock work till he comes after it. He grabs the tweezers with a death grip and I carefully pull him from the rock. Works good for me. I have a 24 AIO so that makes it easy to find. I keep 2 in the return area and move them back to the display if need be. I'd probably flush them down the toilet but the guilt....

 

[Khoi Mai]

I used tweezer too. Catch him avoid the legs then put him into sump all by himself

 

[Reefman71]

I’ve got a 125 gallon and 3 of them. One is eating my Zoanthids. I literally sat and watched it while I was eating dinner and jumped up towards the tank and scared him away from my frag rack. I’ve tried a glass, tweezers. I think I’m going to have to take all the rock out and remove the crabs with my hands has anybody ever had to do that? I don’t know what else to do?