Do Anemone crabs abandon their anemone?

[dklw]

Hi,
I have an anemone crab that has a symbiotic relationship with one of my anemones. Ocassionally it will go over to another anemone and sit for a while and then return to it's best mate. Yesterday it spent the whole day away from both anemones and is doing the same today. It is sitting on a rock well away from both of them. Is something likely to be wrong here? My understanding is that it will likely die after some time without an anemone.

 

[KrisReef]

Perhaps it likes to explore the safe space in your tank? It will die sometime, that's certain.

 

[brahm]

Mine doesn't, I have two mag's on the same rock it has never left the bigger the one despite them overlapping each other at times. There is a 3rd nem as well down in the sand it has never gone to either. Not sure I'd chalk them moving around that something is wrong. how big are the nems, can it fully hide?

 

[dklw]

Nems are not that big but crab hides really well in it. He has just gone back to his original yesterday.

 

[Tamberav]

The crabs do not need nems to survive. I have seen them take up residence in Xenia and such.

Mine would wander away sometimes whenever I had them in a tank without scary fish. They would wander to go pick at algae and such. Not just filter feed.

The one I have now hugs his BTA close because I have lots of wrasse.