Catching monster gorilla crab

[Righteous]

Anyone have any luck catching any of these suckers.. got one maybe two inches across. I’ve tried a trap, but he seems super suspect of it, never goes inside. Also tried sneaking up on him with tongs and grabbing him once close, but he’s lightening fast.

And he has to go.. he grabbed my Pectinia and stripped the flesh off it.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Anyone have any luck catching any of these suckers.. got one maybe two inches across. I’ve tried a trap, but he seems super suspect of it, never goes inside. Also tried sneaking up on him with tongs and grabbing him once close, but he’s lightening fast.

And he has to go.. he grabbed my Pectinia and stripped the flesh off it.

Where is he hiding? Can you take the rock out and get him out? I've also heard of people taking a syringe and squirting ro/di water in their hole to get them to come out.

 

[Righteous]

He’s dug under the rock in the sand. I can try taking the rocks out above him... I just assumed he’d scurry away somewhere, but I’m guessing it doesn’t hurt to try

Will also try the ro/di idea

 

[kgk]

Did you ever catch this guy?

 

[Righteous]

I did... managed to catch him with one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Ultralife-Reef-ProduCounts-AULXTERM-X-Terminator/dp/B0002DKB7M

I just left it in the tank for several days. Then one evening put some food in and found him inside in the morning.

 

[Righteous]

Here he is (was)

 

[Retro Reefer]

Nice! Glad to know those traps are effective.

 

[kgk]

Following up because I had to catch one about that size in my tank. It took three weeks before I got him.
I tried the Tom's pest trap from BRS. It looks like the one above. It was an abject failure. Every time I'd put bait in the trap, the crab would somehow get in & out of the trap with the piece of shrimp. I'd find the shrimp wedged into his sand hole home under a rock, every time.
I finally caught him using a pint glass with a shrimp in the bottom. Lean it on a rock, and once they go into the glass, there isn't enough friction for them to get out. You'll catch every hermit in your tank as well....

 

[nick0206]

Does anyone else have experience in catching a gorilla crab?
I have no idea where he came from. I didn’t see him until he half-perked a beautiful and expensive frag of an Australian Acropora. Then I saw him. Of the 4 "stag barely saved 1". This crab is a foodie, he seems to know how much it costs. I did not see him for several months, while a new acquired frag (also from Australia) and the stag was expecting the fate of the previous coral. (tell me, why are Australian corals so plastered that he is strongly attracted to them?)
Twice I tried to catch him in a long glass. For the first time for a couple of days, I put it with a piece of frozen shrimp. With no results.. Then someone advised me that it is best to catch it on a cucumber. After 4 days glass with cucumber pulled out, again without result.
Any advice and help is appreciated.