What is going on in my tank!!!!

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

Guess what I saw this morning. ANOTHER OF THOSE CRABS!!!! I was spot feeding all my corals with some of the nice meaty reef frenzy and his legs stuck out and went back in just as quick. I can’t believe it, I think we found the culprit guys. Can totally explain the frags, the attacks, and the other crab dying.

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

He’s in this hole. He’s taunting me, he keeps coming in and out. It’s like he can sense I’m here, I’m not moving at all, no hands in the tank

Sarah24! · Mar 8, 2021

Well, there ya go. I’m sure if you have that one you may have more. If your able to take that rock out and no corals on it, leave it out and or dip in fresh water.

PBnJOnWheat · Mar 8, 2021

JosephM said:
He’s in this hole. He’s taunting me, he keeps coming in and out. It’s like he can sense I’m here, I’m not moving at all, no hands in the tank

Mystery solved

Sarah24! said:
Well, there ya go. I’m sure if you have that one you may have more. If your able to take that rock out and no corals on it, leave it out and or dip in fresh water.

get’r’done

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

Sarah24! said:
Well, there ya go. I’m sure if you have that one you may have more. If your able to take that rock out and no corals on it, leave it out and or dip in fresh water.

Sadly I can’t do that. Like 5 corals glued to it and it’s supporting two other rocks. I think going to try a shot glass leaned up with some fish in it to bait and hoping it’ll go in and not be able to get it

zalick · Mar 8, 2021

JosephM said:
Sadly I can’t do that. Like 5 corals glued to it and it’s supporting two other rocks. I think going to try a shot glass leaned up with some fish in it to bait and hoping it’ll go in and not be able to get it

You could also go the executioner route:
Jab a shape object in there or squirt with boiling water to flush out.....

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

zalick said:
You could also go the executioner route:
Jab a shape object in there or squirt with boiling water to flush out.....

Danggg. I didn’t even think of that!! I’ll have to do that next time.

uhgster1 · Mar 8, 2021

I suspected that your "dead" crab was a molt. Meaning it’s very well fed. Make a bottle trap. It should only be slightly larger than it was so it should fit through the opening of a coke bottle (glass preferably), find a small piece of plastic tubing that will fit in the opening and go past about two inches and glue it. The crab (and all the bristle worms you didn’t know you had) will go in if you leave a nice piece of fish or shrimp. Give it a couple of days.

saltybees · Mar 8, 2021

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

uhgster1 said:
I suspected that your "dead" crab was a molt. Meaning it’s very well fed. Make a bottle trap. It should only be slightly larger than it was so it should fit through the opening of a coke bottle (glass preferably), find a small piece of plastic tubing that will fit in the opening and go past about two inches and glue it. The crab (and all the bristle worms you didn’t know you had) will go in if you leave a nice piece of fish or shrimp. Give it a couple of days.

The dead crab was definitely not a molt. I have a bunch of freshwater shrimp and know what molts look and feel like. That thing was a dead crab. But thank you on the tip for catching it

Vested · Mar 8, 2021

Down with the crab!

terraincognita · Mar 8, 2021

Poor Crab. ;_; my wife's a cancer. We love all crabs. Even the mean ones. Put him in the sump!

JAMreef · Mar 8, 2021

JosephM said:
The dead crab was definitely not a molt. I have a bunch of freshwater shrimp and know what molts look and feel like. That thing was a dead crab. But thank you on the tip for catching it

Maybe you already answered this and I missed it, did the firefish survive?

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

JAMreef said:
Maybe you already answered this and I missed it, did the firefish survive?

Sadly no, passed away the next morning

Joe31415 · Mar 8, 2021

JosephM said:
Sadly I can’t do that. Like 5 corals glued to it and it’s supporting two other rocks. I think going to try a shot glass leaned up with some fish in it to bait and hoping it’ll go in and not be able to get it

If that's the only way in/out, you could try filling it with superglue or plugging the hole with epoxy. Let it starve to death in there.

JosephM · Mar 8, 2021

Joe31415 said:
If that's the only way in/out, you could try filling it with superglue or plugging the hole with epoxy. Let it starve to death in there.

Yeah true. My rock is super porous though so I highly doubt that it’s the only way in/out. I’m gonna try the crab traps and see if that reveals anything

Vested · Mar 8, 2021

terraincognita said:
Poor Crab. ;_; my wife's a cancer. We love all crabs. Even the mean ones. Put him in the sump!

Banished to the sump lol

99problemsandatankisone · Mar 8, 2021

Vested said:
Banished to the sump lol

based on our profile pics I can’t tell if we should be best friends or worst enemies

Vested · Mar 8, 2021

99problemsandatankisone said:
based on our profile pics I can’t tell if we should be best friends or worst enemies

Friends! <3

Courtney Aldrich · Mar 9, 2021

Glad to hear you found the source of destruction. I would get a pair of pliers/big forceps and a turkey baster full of 'the juices left after you defrost your food' and squirt it in the hole. The crab will come crawling out real fast looking for a juicy meal, and then bam! You pluck him up with your pliers. Crabby crab no more.