Is it possible?

[jp_75]

i have a red sea xl425
currently i keep:
3 chalk basslets
fairy wrasse
2 clowns
sapphire damsel
sailfin blenny
emerald crab
red fire shrimp
is it possible one of them can be nipping corals? all bottom lps are damaged. some died already! planning to remove all fish from tank and see what happens!
while ago i saw a different crab but disappeared.

 

[WV Reefer]

i have a red sea xl425
currently i keep:
3 chalk basslets
fairy wrasse
2 clowns
sapphire damsel
sailfin blenny
emerald crab
red fire shrimp
is it possible one of them can be nipping corals? all bottom lps are damaged. some died already! planning to remove all fish from tank and see what happens!
while ago i saw a different crab but disappeared.

My money would be on the Blenny.

 

[eatbreakfast]

The "different crab" could be the culprit. The blenny would be the next suspect.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Suspects, in order, most likely first:
1. "Different crab" definitely top suspect

2. Blenny
3. Emerald crab
4.fire shrimp. Could be stealing food from lps and doing some damage
5. Sapphire damsel if you have flatworms, could be picking them off and irritating corals.

These are all possible though #1 is by far the most probable

 

[jp_75]

thx all!!!!
tried glass to catch that crab but no luck! should i put more than one trap? ready to even tear the whole tank down!

 

[jp_75]

Good? Bad? That’s the crab i was after! Had to remove while rock once i saw it!

 

[WV Reefer]

Good? Bad? That’s the crab i was after! Had to remove while rock once i saw it!

Those claws! I’d say Bad dude for sure. Sucks you had to go to extreme measures.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Oh yeah, that's your killer. Keep an eye out for more...

 

[BestMomEver]

FWIW, I caught two emerald crabs (at different times) pinching my lobo and snatching polyps off my SPS. I managed to catch them and toss them into my QT. Now that I’ve put them back, they seem to be behaving themselves but I’m watching closely.

Your photo looks like a
Gonioinfradens paucidentata or red swimming crab.

 

[BestMomEver]

BTW... I only searched for a small red crab with blackish claws. I am by no means an expert but that looks closest!

 

[jp_75]

Oh yeah, that's your killer. Keep an eye out for more...

What do you mean for more? Never actually seen more than one in my tank....dang, hopefully it’s only this one!!!!

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

I just mean keep an eye out, you never know if there is another.