Help with a 2" crab?

[UM Aquarium Club]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but need some advice about getting out an unknown pest crab that is in our tank. The general way I've seen to get rid of them is to use a glass and some bait but we have several blennies that will go after whatever bait we put into the tank. Is there a good way to approach this so we can lure the crab?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Figure out where the crab is hiding and lure it out with some thing tough tied to a string. The crab will grab on and as you pull away will usually grab on with it's whole body. Once that happens you can pull it out of the tank or scoop it up with a cup or something. Here in NW Florida we use chicken necks to catch blue crabs, so perhaps something like that or a thick piece of squid. If you do use the chicken neck I would wash it off in saltwater a ton before sticking it in your tank. Use your other hand or a poking stick to keep the fish at bay as you try to catch the crab

If that doesn't sound too fun you can always use a bottle covered in sand near the crab's hole. Your blenny will probably still want to get in it but sometimes this works even without any bait. Use a wide mouth bottle such as an old-style milk bottle or a yoohoo bottle.

If you know the crab is bad and needs to be removed/terminated anyways, strong tweezers will also work.