Pest crab help

hitmanhoos · Jan 9, 2012

I was checking out my tank around 3am this morning and saw a crab hitch hiker. I took the rock it was on out and got a decent look at it. It looks like a emerald crab only it was tan & grey or brown. I was trying to ID it online and think it may be a Xanthid.

So how do I get it out of the rock? It's burrowed down in a hole. The rock is currently in a bucket of saltwater.

Thanks

Boogie · Jan 9, 2012

You could try to suspend the rock over the water and hope that he comes out and plunks himself down into the bucket. Course, lots of those things will just honker down and try to survive but it might be worth a shot. Is there anything else of value on the rock?

hitmanhoos · Jan 9, 2012

No, nothing else on the rock. If I can't get it out I'll toss the rock. But I want to try to keep it.

Raggamuffin · Jan 9, 2012

VERY easy to do since you know the hole he is in, go to the store and buy a 20 oz. bottle of carbonated water, pour some into a cup and use a turkey baster to shoot some into the hole. he will come flying out! try to get him into saltwater in a minute or 2 and he will be completely unharmed. this method works on all mobile hitch hikers, snails, crabs, mantis shrimp anything.