Watch OUT for Emerald Crabs!

CodyRVA · Aug 16, 2016

Jimbo said:
I have seen my Emerald Crabs inside my Acros many times at night mostly. Never noticed any damage to the coral though. I'd assume if they were hungry enough, and being a crab, they would possibly eat almost anything.

Never had an issue with them myself though.

I've only had issues with them and soft corals, just my experience, never with stony.

Brandon42 · Aug 17, 2016

I had a emerald just recently ate a whole rasta zoa head. Then turned up dead a day laer.

JTittle · Aug 17, 2016

I had one for a few days and went in my office after lights out just being nosy and saw him tearing apart my zoas. He went back to the LFS the next day.

CodyRVA · Aug 17, 2016

Brandon42 said:
I had a emerald just recently ate a whole rasta zoa head. Then turned up dead a day laer.

Karma

Susan Bates · Aug 17, 2016

I have seen a tiny purple crab with orange legs in my tank is this anything to worry about?

Rtorres508 · Aug 17, 2016

I removed all emerald crabs from my tank about a year ago for that same reason. I noticed my zoa and acan colonies were slowly dying off until I caught about 15 of my emeralds picking at them!

Not sure if they were just trying to get what was in between, but for dang sure I had zoa heads floating around from it. Now that there are no more emeralds, my coral are happy again

Pikwix · Aug 18, 2016

I had 2. I see both of them eating tips of my acros. I bought them to wipe my brown bubble algae out... But they have decided otherwise

0202chunky · Aug 18, 2016

cb684 said:
Got one eating the tip of acros in my tank too. Usually they freeze with light. I was able to catch the one that was damaging my acros pointing a flashlight at him and then using a net. It helps if a second person hold the flashlight.

Same here. It actually killed a acro frag of mine.

mroche100 · Aug 18, 2016

When I feed my Duncan (twice a week) with scallops or shrimp I feed my crabs as well. It keeps them from tearing up my Zoas

0202chunky · Aug 19, 2016

mroche100 said:
When I feed my Duncan (twice a week) with scallops or shrimp I feed my crabs as well. It keeps them from tearing up my Zoas

How do u place food for your crab so it knows it's feeding time? That would help as they are useful .

Nibejeebies · Aug 19, 2016

I as well go out of my way to physically place a full or half krill (depending on the size of the crab) into their claws. It seems to keep them from eating or clawing anything they arnt supposed to. I have noticed that they like to sit on the base of some of my LPS though but they dont 'seem' to be attacking or doing anything to the coral.