Where are my emerald crabs?

[sawdavis]

It's been three weeks since I have seen any sign of my five emerald crabs. When I first got them, I would see them all the time crawling around the rocks and sand. Then about three weeks ago, I found one of my older ones and the largest, dead and I haven't seen a sign or hair of any of the others since. Should I assume that the others are dead too? They were small, maybe
1/2 ". I also don't see them when the lights are off. Is this pretty common? to have them die all at once? My water parameters have been stable for sometime and shouldn't be a problem. I did add a sea urchin--the porcupine type. Would it have eaten them?

Any comments would be much appreciated.

 

[Dragon174]

I have an emerald crab that I thought the same thing. Hadn't seen it in over a month. Then one day, there it was. Don't give up hope especially if you have lots of rock in the tank. Depending upon the size of your tank, 5 might be a lot.

 

[jerrod]

You can try to put in some Nori on a rock just to supplement feeding as 5 in a tank seems like a lot. Try looking in your tank at night as that is when they are most active I have 2 in my 240 and only see them maybe once a week hugged up against a coral at night.

 

[Snorkelsteve]

They are probably still in there but hiding. They are nocturnal for the most part.

 

[MichaelReefer]

I have one and I see her very rarely. She only comes out when I feed sometimes. I've gone weeks without seeing her at times.

 

[Hannahrain]

I go a while without seeing mine sometimes.

 

[Sailingeric]

Are you sure the two were dead and not molted?? I have a several hermits but I have one I have had for a couple years, Crusty the Crab, and I thought he had died as I did not see for several week but one day there he was. Like the other said, check at night or throw in a mussel or something similar, I am sure they will come out. When I do that, it is like an all you can eat buffet for them.

 

[sawdavis]

Thanks for all the advice. I have a 75 g tank and had a really bad algae out break. I was told, either on this site or at my LFS to get one per 10 gallons to take care of the problem, plus a sea urchin. I also have a hermit crab and other crabs (not sure their names.) The emerald crabs are the only ones that are a no show. I do supplement their feeding now because most of the algae has been taken care of. There is still some on the rocks, but none in my sand or any bubble algae. I don't think the dead one I found was a molt because I had one molt and the molt did not look the same. Perhaps if I had too many, they would kill each other?

 

[Fishy212]

Thanks for all the advice. I have a 75 g tank and had a really bad algae out break. I was told, either on this site or at my LFS to get one per 10 gallons to take care of the problem, plus a sea urchin. I also have a hermit crab and other crabs (not sure their names.) The emerald crabs are the only ones that are a no show. I do supplement their feeding now because most of the algae has been taken care of. There is still some on the rocks, but none in my sand or any bubble algae. I don't think the dead one I found was a molt because I had one molt and the molt did not look the same. Perhaps if I had too many, they would kill each other?

Not in a 75 gallon tank. I can understand smaller like a nano. I have 2 and one I rarely see and the other comes out to say hello every morning.