Murderous Emerald crab

[Rikerbear]

So yesterday my husband brought me a really nice looking skunk cleaner shrimp (he'd heard I wanted one for the 29 gal fowlr/nano)
I took about an hour to acclimate it, but all for not...... as soon as it hit the tank my lrg emerald crab grabbed it and tore it in half killing it instantly. Didn't appear to eat any of it, just kill it.
Anyone ever hear of this before?
Kiliwog is huge, measuring right at the size of a half dollar coin. Is he just being extremely territorial, or is he perhaps not getting enough to eat? Did he see the shrimp as foe or food?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

WOW I would have never would have imagined the crab would do that.

 

[Rikerbear]

WOW I would have never would have imagined the crab would do that.

I know! I was totally shocked! I've kept emeralds for years in all types of tanks and tank sizes and have never ever seen such aggression. I am rather shocked. I really love watching him in the tank and would hate to lose him, but feel I can't trust him any longer.

 

[Connie]

Yep, Kiliwog definitely has to go. I know you are livid!

 

[diamondreef]

I saw ours picking at our copperband... not sure if it killed it or fish was already not doing good but it was crazy... got rid of the crab as soon as we caught him...

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[Rikerbear]

I will be working on getting him out of there for sure....he is SO big and so quick and the scape is FULL of caves and hidey places....should be fun. NOT!
LOL

 

[Rikerbear]

OMG!!! Kilowog was sleeping in the branches of an old dead birds nest coral chunk.....all I had to do was reach in, pull the chunk out and swish it in a container of water I had ready. He popped out and is now safely in a triple ply bag waiting for the LFS to open.
It took all of 10 seconds and did absolutely no damage to the scape.
It is indeed my lucky day (may have to buy a lotto ticket LOL)
I will be replacing him with a small small small baby emerald

 

[diamondreef]

Lol we caught ours surprisingly quick too but thats awesome! Def try a lotto ticket

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[Rikerbear]

Lol we caught ours surprisingly quick too but thats awesome! Def try a lotto ticket

Hope the lotto ticket wins me at least $25 so I can recoop the cost of the doomed cleaner shrimp LOL

 

[diamondreef]

Lol hopefully

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[Rikerbear]

Kilowog is now in solitary confinement at the LFS. He was replaced with a baby about the size of a dime
The LFS was having a special Wednesday sale on cleaner shrimp so was able to replace mine for just $9.99
I added up what he most likely has cost me over the last 4 months.
Original cost $7.99
Fire shrimp $34.99
Royal Gramma $29.99
Cleaner Shrimp $24.99
Total cost: $97.96

 

[Dana]

you got the john wayne gacey of emerald crabs

 

[Rikerbear]

you got the john wayne gacey of emerald crabs

LOL
I wondered why he had that little clown suit

 

[justgotwet]

Sorry about your losses I hope the new one is nicer!

 

[Rikerbear]

Sorry about your losses I hope the new one is nicer!

It better be or I'm gonna be melting me some butter :tongue:

 

[Laker32]

Catching emerald crab

Whats the best/ easiest way to catch a emerald crab? My crab ripped the head off of 1 adult and 1 baby paly last night and he needs to go.

 

[MelissaKathryn]

My emerald crab can be a nightmare too! He comes out and attacks my hand! I mean, I know he is small, so you would think it wouldn't hurt at all, but he is surprisingly strong. I mean, I'm fine... but my clowns swim away from him and he likes to attack the foot of our BTA from the depths of the live rock. Oddly enough, the one fish that keeps him in check is our lawnmower blenny! lol If he pops out of the rock near our lawnmower blenny, he pops right back in!

I got him a little female emerald crab and they now just graze the rock alongside each other.. so far.. We have only had her a few weeks though. If you can't catch yours, try getting one of the opposite sex, maybe?

 

[Reef Fever]

i got rid of my emerald cause he kept poking my lion in the eye

 

[Eienna]

I have a smallish female emerald and she hasn't bothered anyone thus far....I do have a tendency to overfeed my guys a bit, though, so maybe she's too well-fed to want to bother anyone XD

 

[Rikerbear]

Don't know that there is an easy way to catch one. I got WAY lucky that mine was resting in a piece of dead coral and I was able to just take it out and swish the crab off into a container.