Crab Hitchhiker Help!!

ReefChemist · Apr 8, 2014

I was looking at my tank today and seen a crab come out of the rock and eat a piece of leftover food that came up to it. I was reading threads about the hairy crabs being bad this one is not hairy at all. I captured the little sucker to get a good look at it. It's a Grey/Brownish/Green shell, Red Eyes, and little redish/brown spots on the top of shell. I have no clue about crabs. I tried to take a picture but the camera is horrible. If you can help me out I would be thankful lol.

mfinn · Apr 8, 2014

I've never seen a hitchhiker crab that I wanted to save.
I would not keep him.

ReefChemist · Apr 8, 2014

would it be any benefit to the sump?

mfinn · Apr 8, 2014

ReefChemist said:
would it be any benefit to the sump?

Sump could be a place where he could live.

You would not be able to put anything else in there such as a coral or other crabs or snails.

booth2010 · Apr 8, 2014

Super blurry but kinda looks like my porcelain crab lol

Squishie89 · Apr 8, 2014

If you have a place for him to live in the sump, like a refugium put him in there. I had a hitch hiker crab who lived in my sump/fuge for 6+ months and he THRIVED in there.

eliramos · Apr 8, 2014

if you're not sure what the species is i would dump him in the sump or take him to someone who would want him.
Crabs for the most part are not good tank mates they will eat coral inverts and once they get big enough other fish.
usually it takes people a long time to catch them, since you got him out of the tank i would keep him out, just my opinion.
better safe than sorry for sure!

Rob&Gab · Apr 8, 2014

booth2010 said:
Super blurry but kinda looks like my porcelain crab lol

+1 on the porcelain crab.

ReefChemist · Apr 8, 2014

Yeah the camera on the phone is horrible. lol I don't believe it's a porcelain as most i've seen only has two legs on the side and two in the back. This one has three legs on the side and two in back.

ReefChemist · Apr 8, 2014

I'm mainly just curious as I want my tank to be as natural as possible but at the same time don't want to be feeding all my money to a crab haha.
I don't want a Mr.Crabs from spongebob in my tank haha.

eliramos · Apr 8, 2014

ReefChemist said:
I'm mainly just curious as I want my tank to be as natural as possible but at the same time don't want to be feeding all my money to a crab haha.
I don't want a Mr.Crabs from spongebob in my tank haha.

if you don't want to dump him..sump him lol
But in all seriousness try and take a better pic b4 you toss him in the d.t
crabs are cool animals for sure but you don't want to find a bunch of closed polyps and not find some of your favorite fish down the road then have to rip apart your tank to get the sucker.

ReefChemist · Apr 8, 2014

eliramos said:
if you don't want to dump him..sump him lol
But in all seriousness try and take a better pic b4 you toss him in the d.t
crabs are cool animals for sure but you don't want to find a bunch of closed polyps and not find some of your favorite fish down the road then have to rip apart your tank to get the sucker.

Haha yeah that's what I'm saying. I think they are neat too and would like to find some use for it. Just don't want it suddenly suddenly reaping havoc on my corals or inverts. I mean I have not seen any damage to the corals and the nassarius snails and turbos haven't been harmed. The rock it was in been in for about 8 months now. So idk lol like I said I just caught it coming out a crevice of rock to eat a piece of leftover food that came to it's "entrance" lol Also when I was in capture mode once it left the rock it burrowed itself in the sandbed?

fhd · Apr 9, 2014

Oooh I am sad today. Cuz I saw giant crab in my tank about 3.5 inches I am thinking how to catch it and throw it away

Rob&Gab · Apr 9, 2014

fhd said:
Oooh I am sad today. Cuz I saw giant crab in my tank about 3.5 inches I am thinking how to catch it and throw it away

Glass Bottle or Plastic with soem Food in it slanted on your rock work As soon as you see him going in scoop up the bottle.

ReefChemist · Apr 9, 2014

fhd said:
Oooh I am sad today. Cuz I saw giant crab in my tank about 3.5 inches I am thinking how to catch it and throw it away

I would try what fhd said first, though it might not work if you have hermits or other fish that get to it first lol if this doesn't work. You can try what I did get a coral feeder or straw something along those lines and if you see where the crab went and can see there is no other exit or crevice for it to further run too. Force it out and have you a fish net ready. It might even get defensive and grab on for the ride.