+ Emerald crabs

[Scdell]

I was on the fence about emerald crabs. I did research, found both good and bad about them.
I have a lot of bubble algae and I wasn't getting ahead with it.
So....I ordered 4 from Reeftopia along with some snails.
I put the crabs in, didn't see any for about three, four days. Maybe they didn't make it?
Lo and behold I'm looking today and there was one feasting on bubble algae.
He was just having a feast on the algae. I watched him for about an hour.
They work on bubble algae!!!

 

[sfin52]

I was on the fence about emerald crabs. I did research, found both good and bad about them.
I have a lot of bubble algae and I wasn't getting ahead with it.
So....I ordered 4 from Reeftopia along with some snails.
I put the crabs in, didn't see any for about three, four days. Maybe they didn't make it?
Lo and behold I'm looking today and there was one feasting on bubble algae.
He was just having a feast on the algae. I watched him for about an hour.
They work on bubble algae!!!

They do. I would recommend them for every tank. I think they go rogue when they don't have enough algea in the tank. Just my thoughts on why some go rogue

 

[Scdell]

I'll keep an eye on them. And I may have to remove them.
Not for awhile tough. They'll have plenty to eat for a few months.

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

I put emeralds in every tank. Have two now in my 30 gallon and they both got pretty big but munching away on the rock surfaces only.

 

[MNFish]

Mine has me trained to feed him table shrimp when he is hungry. Never had any trouble with them at all.

 

[Scdell]

Thanks for the info. So much contradictory stuff on here.
I like a natural approach instead of a chemical approach.
It's how nature works.

 

[frizzayyyyreef]

I’ll never get one again mine ate coral he now lives in my sump and is doing well in that spot I don’t recommend them at all

 

[Scdell]

I’ll never get one again

Prey tell why.

 

[N.Sreefer]

Efficiency of using emerald crabs Mithraculus sculptus to control bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (syn. Valonia ventricosa) in aquaria habitats | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom | Cambridge Core

Efficiency of using emerald crabs Mithraculus sculptus to control bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (syn. Valonia ventricosa) in aquaria habitats - Volume 88 Issue 1

www.cambridge.org

 

[N.Sreefer]

Efficiency of using emerald crabs Mithraculus sculptus to control bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (syn. Valonia ventricosa) in aquaria habitats | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom | Cambridge Core

Efficiency of using emerald crabs Mithraculus sculptus to control bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (syn. Valonia ventricosa) in aquaria habitats - Volume 88 Issue 1

www.cambridge.org

This study suggested they only consuming large amounts of bubble algae if fed mysis shrimp.

 

[sfin52]

This study suggested they only consuming large amounts of bubble algae if fed mysis shrimp.

Interesting. Something missing from the diet that algea filled.

 

[DV8R]

I'm getting the central consensus is in favor of these guys? Do they make any special food for them? Can I feed them the same algae wafers I feed my freshwater fish? I'm just starting up my tank, so there isn't any algae. I noticed him fiddling with one of my coral plugs, and I don't want him eating my little critters lol.

 

[N.Sreefer]

I'm getting the central consensus is in favor of these guys? Do they make any special food for them? Can I feed them the same algae wafers I feed my freshwater fish? I'm just starting up my tank, so there isn't any algae. I noticed him fiddling with one of my coral plugs, and I don't want him eating my little critters lol.

They eat coral in the wild so they are denizens of sump city in my tank.

 

[sfin52]

I'm getting the central consensus is in favor of these guys? Do they make any special food for them? Can I feed them the same algae wafers I feed my freshwater fish? I'm just starting up my tank, so there isn't any algae. I noticed him fiddling with one of my coral plugs, and I don't want him eating my little critters lol.

I have plenty of algea and throw in sea lettuce once a week. Never tried algea wafers.

 

[Scdell]

Efficiency of using emerald crabs Mithraculus sculptus to control bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (syn. Valonia ventricosa) in aquaria habitats | Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom | Cambridge Core

Efficiency of using emerald crabs Mithraculus sculptus to control bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (syn. Valonia ventricosa) in aquaria habitats - Volume 88 Issue 1

www.cambridge.org

This doesn't say much

 

[Scdell]

They eat coral in the wild so they are denizens of sump city in my tank.

Facts please. What kind of coral do they eat?, stc

 

[N.Sreefer]

This doesn't say much

Couple important points

1."The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of using Mithraculus sculptus to control the bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (Siphonocladales–Cladophorales complex, Chlorophyta) in the presence of alternative foods (commercial pellets and frozen mysids) commonly utilized in reef aquaria. Results indicated that medium and large sized crabs consumed more bubble algae than smaller conspecifics."

2. "Although, M. sculptus first chose alternative foods to bubble alga (77% and 69% of the time chose pellets and frozen mysids, respectively), algal consumption only decreased significantly if, besides algae, pellets were provided; when only algae were provided, algal consumption was similar to when they were provided with mysids."

(So the highest bubble algae consumption is when fed mysis similar if fed nothing and lowest if fed pellets) if you feed pellets they wont consume much bubble algae

 

[Scdell]

Couple important points

1."The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of using Mithraculus sculptus to control the bubble alga Ventricaria ventricosa (Siphonocladales–Cladophorales complex, Chlorophyta) in the presence of alternative foods (commercial pellets and frozen mysids) commonly utilized in reef aquaria. Results indicated that medium and large sized crabs consumed more bubble algae than smaller conspecifics."

2. "Although, M. sculptus first chose alternative foods to bubble alga (77% and 69% of the time chose pellets and frozen mysids, respectively), algal consumption only decreased significantly if, besides algae, pellets were provided; when only algae were provided, algal consumption was similar to when they were provided with mysids."

(So the highest bubble algae consumption is when fed mysis similar if fed nothing and lowest if fed pellets) if you feed pellets they wont consume much bubble algae

This article starts with abstract.
Here's the definition:

Abstract is from a Latin word meaning "pulled away, detached," and the basic idea is of something detached from physical, or concrete, reality. It is frequently used of ideas, meaning that they don't have a clear applicability to real life, and of art, meaning that it doesn't pictorially represent reality. It is also used as a noun, especially in the phrase "in the abstract" (a joke has a person laying down a new sidewalk saying "I like little boys in the abstract, but not in the concrete"), and as a verb (accented on the second syllable), meaning "to remove."

 

[N.Sreefer]

This article starts with abstract.
Here's the definition:

Abstract is from a Latin word meaning "pulled away, detached," and the basic idea is of something detached from physical, or concrete, reality. It is frequently used of ideas, meaning that they don't have a clear applicability to real life, and of art, meaning that it doesn't pictorially represent reality. It is also used as a noun, especially in the phrase "in the abstract" (a joke has a person laying down a new sidewalk saying "I like little boys in the abstract, but not in the concrete"), and as a verb (accented on the second syllable), meaning "to remove."

They mention lots of the results in the abstract look at the wording.

"Results indicated"

"Although, M. sculptus first chose"

This is referencing the results I will find a copy of the study that is open sourced so you can read the results. Fyi I know what an abstract is what exactly would they be proposing by that statement? Its a snippet of the result v abstract.

 

[frizzayyyyreef]

Prey tell why.

It was eating coral at night picking at it never touched my bubble algae things started going downhill when I added him I thought at first it was my parameters