To have a strawberry crab or not to ?

[Lily Lemire]

Hey there !
Saw this little guy at my local reef store (picture)
Im very undecided about housing him or not ...I just read SO many horror stories and some equally good reviews about these strawberry crabs everywhere on internet . Now im even more confused and undecided haha.

Heres to see if corals and fish are compatible with what i currently have I have three different tanks :
- My first 10 gallons houses coupl3 hermit crabs , 2 snails and a female black and white clownfish. Zoas +palytozoas+ mushrooms + pachyclavularia +gorgonians.
- The second 10 gallons has 2 ocellaris clownfish and an orange lip conch. Palytozoas + clavularia + kenya tree + blue mushrooms + elephant ear + rhodactis ....
-The third aquarium is also 10 gallons and it houses a yellow clown goby and a nassarius snail. No corals yet its a recent tank so i need to spend so money in it.

Any personal experience with these crabs ? About them attacking other creatures or corals ??

Thanks in advance for any tips
Lily

 

[Nicholas Capozza]

I’ve had one for a while. I got it from my LFS. Not sure where you heard those “horror stories” but I never had any issues with it in my tank. However, they do spend a lot of time under rocks from what I’ve experienced. So you might not see it as much as you hope for.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I wouldn’t put that crab anywhere near my tank. Not even sure that’s a “strawberry crab”.

Crabs have claws for a reason and will generally eat everything they can get those claws onto.

 

[Talo’s Reef]

I had one and every morning a little more of my pavona would be gone and my other corals would be flipped over. Really cool crab and fun to watch after the lights went off but his was destroying everything. He ended up back at the LFS.

 

[Lily Lemire]

I wouldn’t put that crab anywhere near my tank. Not even sure that’s a “strawberry crab”.

Crabs have claws for a reason and will generally eat everything they can get those claws onto.

That makes it - 1 point for that furry crab haha !I find it looks a bit like a xanthid crab but the reef guy assured me its a strawberry crab.

 

[Lily Lemire]

I had one and every morning a little more of my pavona would be gone and my other corals would be flipped over. Really cool crab and fun to watch after the lights went off but his was destroying everything. He ended up back at the LFS.

Gosh! Its not nice at all if it eats corals ! Its such hard work to have beautiful corals. :/

 

[Reeferguy365]

Does not look reef safe but cool looking crab. You could take the yellow goby out of the third tank and make it a crab tank.

 

[Friday24]

I’ve had one for a few years now in a mixed reef and I only ever see it at night. While mine has never eaten my corals, it has stolen frags to build up its cave area in the rock it claimed...unfortunately I lost a couple frags because of this. Seems to leave all fish and inverts alone, usually just see it picking/eating from the rocks.

 

[Lily Lemire]

I’ve had one for a few years now in a mixed reef and I only ever see it at night. While mine has never eaten my corals, it has stolen frags to build up its cave area in the rock it claimed...unfortunately I lost a couple frags because of this. Seems to leave all fish and inverts alone, usually just see it picking/eating from the rocks.

Hey ! Did the one you had for years had black rounded claws ?

 

[Lily Lemire]

Does not look reef safe but cool looking crab. You could take the yellow goby out of the third tank and make it a crab tank.

Yeah thats an idea ☺ or i could also have another smaller tank

 

[Friday24]

Hey ! Did the one you had for years had black rounded claws ?

Yes, a little bit. If I’m up late enough tonight I’ll try to get a pic for ya.

 

[Lily Lemire]

T

Yes, a little bit. If I’m up late enough tonight I’ll try to get a pic for ya.

Thanks i just want to be sure its not a xanthid crab on the picture. About 1 yr ago I had 2 large hitchhikers in my live rocks that were xanthid crabs and instead of killing i decided to dedicate them a tank ..they were nice but destructive . They had black pointy claws.

 

[Friday24]

Haven’t been able to get a pic of mine, but it does have black at the end of the claws. If you do a search on Liveaquaria they have an accurate pic of what should look like.

 

[wesman42]

Does he have dingleberry algae on him or is that legit part of it?

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello Lily,

He is a super adorable little guy, but more than likely he would chomp away at your gorgeous corals. All of my large crabs normally get banned to the sump tank and they have fun down in there. If you have a tank that won’t house any corals he would be adorable to have. You can always try him out and see what happens, but I’d have plan b ready just in case. It doesn’t take them very long to munch down some corals and destroy stuff.

Sincerely
Sarah

 

[Lily Lemire]

Hello Lily,

He is a super adorable little guy, but more than likely he would chomp away at your gorgeous corals. All of my large crabs normally get banned to the sump tank and they have fun down in there. If you have a tank that won’t house any corals he would be adorable to have. You can always try him out and see what happens, but I’d have plan b ready just in case. It doesn’t take them very long to munch down some corals and destroy stuff.

Sincerely
Sarah

Thanks Sarah !
I didnt know that they can live happily in a sump sure is nice to know that it can be a plan b ! A strawberry crab is about 35 - 40$ here is it pricey ?

 

[Lily Lemire]

Does he have dingleberry algae on him or is that legit part of it?

He' s got some algae growing on him haha every week or so i go to the reef store and theres more algae on it haha

 

[wesman42]

He' s got some algae growing on him haha every week or so i go to the reef store and theres more algae on it haha

That's what I just absolutely love about this hobby. One day you think you've seen a LOT, then something like this pops up and it just reignites me.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Wow really 40 where your at, I’m about 98% sure that my lfs is like 15 for them 20 for large ones. If so let me know I can get some for you here and overnight them to you .

Sincerely
Sarah

 

[Lily Lemire]

That's what I just absolutely love about this hobby. One day you think you've seen a LOT, then something like this pops up and it just reignites me.

Youre so riiight haha ! last month my local reefer showed me some crab called Elkhorn Crab. This crab litterally has a coral growing on his body and the coral grows alomg with him and camouflages him perfectly