Is this leather coral damage from emerald crab?

[Clarinuto]

I have seen my red emerald crab on this coral twice, most recently this morning. I was thinking it might be eating the coral and now I see this white spot. Is that the crab’s fault? It’s about to get the boot.

Just finished catching my green one who has been swiping at my two gobies. First pic is this morning, second pic is last night with polyps our. Been taking pictures as I suspected I was having a crab issue.

Meanwhile the tiny patch of bubble algae on my one rock neither one of them have touched. Pretty disappointing!!

 

[emilios_reeftank]

GET RID OF THEM!!! lol. There like the worst thing to be in any aquarium, and yes they will kill your fish. I know from experience, mine killed at-least 3-4 fish.

 

[Bryce M.]

Yeah, big crabs aren't great, hermits are cool if you don't want snails.

 

[Clarinuto]

Dang. I bought into all the posts about how they will control your bubble algae and didn’t see all the posts about how they are huge troublemakers until the little punks were making trouble in my tank. Lol. Oh well. Guess I’ll be at war with the red crab now that I caught the green.

 

[happysalt]

I had two kill one of my cleaner shrimp and one reached out from the rockwork once and grabbed my blue hippo tang while it was swimming by

 

[miyags]

I had one eat the growing edge of a large toadstool leather.I actually sat there and watch it eat the edge.

 

[Clarinuto]

I think the red crab knows I’m coming for it. Little **** has been hiding ever since I saw it sitting on my leather. Unlucky for him, I work right in front of my tank and have all day....

I can’t believe some of these animals are labelled reef safe when so many people have experiences to the contrary!

 

[Clarinuto]

I had two kill one of my cleaner shrimp and one reached out from the rockwork once and grabbed my blue hippo tang while it was swimming by

what the heck. Your hippo? How big was the crab and hippo at the time!? Seems a little ballsy if I am correctly envisioning an adult tang!

 

[Katrina71]

Please tell me it's just going in the sump.

 

[Clarinuto]

Please tell me it's just going in the sump.

Taking the green one back to the fish store. I will probably take the red one to the store also, but I do like that one more so maybe he will move to the sump. We will see. I’m way too much of a softie to do anything cruel.

 

[saintsreturn]

Thats crazy. I have had emeralds in my tank now for about... 10 months. No issues with corals or fish or anything. Just sit inside their rocks and pick at algae when the lights go out.

 

[happysalt]

what the heck. Your hippo? How big was the crab and hippo at the time!? Seems a little ballsy if I am correctly envisioning an adult tang!

No the hippo was around 3" in size it was small. They also tried to grab my six line wrasse but that fish is way too slick.

I got them out of my tank ASAP.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I have had many emeralds in my tanks over several decades and have never had one kill coral or try to catch fish.. they are opportunistic so they will pick at stuff that’s dead or dying, or knock stuff over. They don’t always go for bubble algae but most do.

 

[Clarinuto]

Thats crazy. I have had emeralds in my tank now for about... 10 months. No issues with corals or fish or anything. Just sit inside their rocks and pick at algae when the lights go out.

You are lucky. I had these guys for not even 2 weeks before trouble ensued.

 

[Clarinuto]

Well I officially have damage on the leather coral that I hope will be able to repair itself.

I was able to catch both by hand so the tank is safe and so are they.

I 100% believe the corals, at the very least, were in danger. I target fed both of them a couple times to try to redirect their activities as I liked watching them, but at the end of the day I kept finding them in trouble and love my corals and fish more.

 

[Clarinuto]