Worth to get emerald crab for algae?

[foxngn]

Hi all,

Would like some opinion on this, I got a mix reef full with rockworks & coral. Recently I experienced a algae outbreak consists of bubble algae & hair algae.
For the past few weeks, I added a large amount of macroalgae in my tank, dose microbacter 7(if is help?) & been doing major manual removal.
Now it seems to be stable down still left some of it, some are growing deep inside rockwork.

At this point, my thought is to let an emerald crab do the rest.
But at the same time I'm worry that in future it might eat my corals, by the time if this happens I won't be able to crab or trap him out from the tank.

Is it worth to take it in? OR is best I just continue to do manual removal?

Thanks

 

[fishywishy]

Yes, I cant say about hair algae but they are really good at taking care of bubble algae.

 

[ariellemermaid]

Just don’t expect miracles. My semi-neglected invert 20g QT had a lot of algae growing in it, hair and bubble. To my surprise once I cleared it out, I had at least two Emerald crab still alive. However they also don’t seem to last that long. We’ve probably brought 12 over the years and have 2. I think a lot of CUC is overrated. Snails no matter how many or how big don’t end glass cleaning. Bumblebee snails might eat vermitids theoretically, but they’re the size of a pinky nail and move like a 1/2” a day. I think it’s really fish and especially tangs that are the workhorses.

But, if you enjoy watching them get some more!

 

[littlefoxx]

Mine never really make a dent in the algae but they are cute little critters and fun! Thats worth it alone in my opinion

 

[foxngn]

Yes, i won't really expect they would be 100% touch the algae though. Just long as i could keep them at bay from coral. Easier said than done though.

 

[mfinn]

I have a love/hate relationship with emerald crabs.
They do seem to go after bubble algae, but once there is no more they will get aggressive looking for food.
Some say that they will go after corals ( zoanthids?) but I'm wondering if in my case they were just finding small bits of algae under or near the base of zoanthid polyps that they need to rip the zoanthids off the frag plug/rock they are on to get to the algae.
Either way, I've had zoanthids go missing with them in the tank.

You might want to look into Pitho crabs.

 

[Levinson]

I have some type of turf hair algae looking thing that my emerald crabs or two different kinds of urchins won't touch. I was hoping they'd eat at least some of it when I brought them in but no. Now I have to feed them.
But I love the emerald crabs. They are so fun to look at.

 

[foxngn]

I have a love/hate relationship with emerald crabs.
They do seem to go after bubble algae, but once there is no more they will get aggressive looking for food.
Some say that they will go after corals ( zoanthids?) but I'm wondering if in my case they were just finding small bits of algae under or near the base of zoanthid polyps that they need to rip the zoanthids off the frag plug/rock they are on to get to the algae.
Either way, I've had zoanthids go missing with them in the tank.

You might want to look into Pitho crabs.

Pitho crabs is much more rare and hard to comes by from where i came from though.

I have some type of turf hair algae looking thing that my emerald crabs or two different kinds of urchins won't touch. I was hoping they'd eat at least some of it when I brought them in but no. Now I have to feed them.
But I love the emerald crabs. They are so fun to look at.

I'm actually got 2 tux. urchins but their damage on the algae doesn't seems to do very heavily damage.

 

[cdemoss01]

Hi all,

Would like some opinion on this, I got a mix reef full with rockworks & coral. Recently I experienced a algae outbreak consists of bubble algae & hair algae.
For the past few weeks, I added a large amount of macroalgae in my tank, dose microbacter 7(if is help?) & been doing major manual removal.
Now it seems to be stable down still left some of it, some are growing deep inside rockwork.

At this point, my thought is to let an emerald crab do the rest.
But at the same time I'm worry that in future it might eat my corals, by the time if this happens I won't be able to crab or trap him out from the tank.

Is it worth to take it in? OR is best I just continue to do manual removal?

Thanks

Yes, although they are easy hunts for predators.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I've always had emeralds in the tanks and never witness any misbehavior.

Brought some from FL last time I visited.

 

[jkcoral]

Pitho crabs from reefcleaners.

They are like everything emerald crabs are promised to be and more. They actually eat algae, mow through bubble algae, and don’t cause the havoc that (bad behaving) emerald crabs do.

 

[kevgib67]

I bought my first emerald crabs over a couple of decades ago for bubble algae and they did a great job. My current tank is over 2 1/2 years old and have them in most of the time with no problems. I didn’t have any bubble algae, I just added them because they are fun to watch pick other types of algae off the rocks.

 

[JoJosReef]

Pitho crabs is much more rare and hard to comes by from where i came from though.



I'm actually got 2 tux. urchins but their damage on the algae doesn't seems to do very heavily damage.

I would keep searching for pithos. I've found them to be very effective and safe. I recommend getting more than you need, because you occasionally get a slacker who just wants to pick up detritus.

 

[codenfx]

I have both emerald and pitho crabs multiples of each, they do nothing on bubble algaes. Emerald crab would chill on the rocks while the pithos hides in sand covered most of the day. I've check with a red flashlight at night to see if they're munching on the bubble algaes but nope they just roam around. They don't harm any of my corals, fun to watch though. Just my experience with them.

 

[JoJosReef]

I have both emerald and pitho crabs multiples of each, they do nothing on bubble algaes. Emerald crab would chill on the rocks while the pithos hides in sand covered most of the day. I've check with a red flashlight at night to see if they're munching on the bubble algaes but nope they just roam around. They don't harm any of my corals, fun to watch though. Just my experience with them.

I had two pithos that did nothing. One became a full-on non-CUC pet that I would give Nori every couple of days. It would come out of the sand waving its little arms when I'd come to the tank. Cute, but useless. My new one is a voracious bubble algae eater. Just yesterday I was peeling bubble algae off the gyres (that he can't reach) and feeding it to him. He is a bit of a bulldozer in the sand bed, though...

 

[codenfx]

Glad it worked out for you that's awesome! Wish mine were like that. I have 4 pithos all just sitting in the sand. I feed them nori also every 2-3 days. I've tried starving them in hopes they would be desperate to eat the bubble algae but no success.

 

[JoJosReef]

Glad it worked out for you that's awesome! Wish mine were like that. I have 4 pithos all just sitting in the sand. I feed them nori also every 2-3 days. I've tried starving them in hopes they would be desperate to eat the bubble algae but no success.

Have you tried feeding them some clusters of bubble algae? Maybe you can train them onto it.

Although, I found that when my previous pitho, which became a pet, got a taste for table food, it didn't want anything from the dog bowl anymore.

 

[codenfx]

Have you tried feeding them some clusters of bubble algae? Maybe you can train them onto it.

Although, I found that when my previous pitho, which became a pet, got a taste for table food, it didn't want anything from the dog bowl anymore.

Yes I put them right next to the bubble algaes, they wouldn't touch it but I've since manually removed the bubble algaes, it's under control now with a few here and there on occasion that shows up.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Hi all,

Would like some opinion on this, I got a mix reef full with rockworks & coral. Recently I experienced a algae outbreak consists of bubble algae & hair algae.
For the past few weeks, I added a large amount of macroalgae in my tank, dose microbacter 7(if is help?) & been doing major manual removal.
Now it seems to be stable down still left some of it, some are growing deep inside rockwork.

At this point, my thought is to let an emerald crab do the rest.
But at the same time I'm worry that in future it might eat my corals, by the time if this happens I won't be able to crab or trap him out from the tank.

Is it worth to take it in? OR is best I just continue to do manual removal?

Thanks

I would go with Pitho crabs! They eat all kinds of algae, and won’t mess with anything else

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all,

Would like some opinion on this, I got a mix reef full with rockworks & coral. Recently I experienced a algae outbreak consists of bubble algae & hair algae.
For the past few weeks, I added a large amount of macroalgae in my tank, dose microbacter 7(if is help?) & been doing major manual removal.
Now it seems to be stable down still left some of it, some are growing deep inside rockwork.

At this point, my thought is to let an emerald crab do the rest.
But at the same time I'm worry that in future it might eat my corals, by the time if this happens I won't be able to crab or trap him out from the tank.

Is it worth to take it in? OR is best I just continue to do manual removal?

Thanks

They are hit and miss and female more trusting. Other option is pitho crab