[rlcline76]

Well, I removed our rock crab after reading about it on this forum. Thanks! My son is mad because it was in his tank and wants a replacement. I'm thinking about getting an emerald green. His tank does not have corals, just one sitting duck featherduster, 2 chromis, a firefish, royal gramma, a lazy watchman goby and a scooter blenny. I read that the crab could eat a fish or so, but does not come with the warning label the rock crab does. Anyone out there really love or hate their emerald crab?????

[glampka]

Hi Becky
I had one for a number of years - never bothered anyone. Just keep it well fed. BTW - new faucet cost me $160!!!

[rlcline76]

lol...better you than me.

[angie555]

I have two of them, and I love them they do not bother any one! When the second one was put in they fought for a couple of days now they just eat and grow like crazy! Not always easy to see though they blend in good. Do you have any hermies? they would be good to get to.

[rlcline76]

Yep, I have several hermit crabs.

[Fishhead Junkie]

i have a few emerald crabs and i love them. they are always at work picking and cleaning the live rock. when something dies...they are always on the ball working to grab it and eat it up. just dont get an arrow crab. now those suckers are mean. i returned mine after it ate a few of my fish. lil *******.

steve

[rlcline76]

I did get an emerald crab over the weekend. He's pretty big. Luckily, he allows me to target feed him. I caught him checking out a featherduster, it is still alive. My crab quest is over, however, my son told me that he wants coral in his tank. I guess I will be upgrading the lighting.

[RCBruce]

I'm not undersatanding why everyone says they have to give up crabs cause they are getting corals? My reef is covered in sps, polyps, etc., and collecting different species of crabs is my thing! I have 4 emeralds and think they are great! I have the usual hermits, scarlets, blues, several I have no idea, lol, newest additions are 2 yellow tip hermits.(check the pic) Everyone loves watching the crabs crawl all over the reef more than they like the fish!

[jpmwjm]

I ordered two Emeralds from my LFS. Should be here tommorow. I have lots of hair algae, saw somewhere that they will eat this. Do I also need to supplement their diet with some other type of food. If so what would you recommend?

[rlcline76]

RCBruce: I had to get rid of my crab. He did well until I got coral and then immediately started taking apart my polyp. This is after I target fed him.

jpmwjm: I was target feeding my crab with squid. He liked it and it gave me peace of mind thinking he might leave his tank mates alone.

[RCBruce]

Originally Posted by rlcline76

RCBruce: I had to get rid of my crab. He did well until I got coral and then immediately started taking apart my polyp. This is after I target fed him.

OK, never heard of target feeding crabs, but I guess it is plauseable. Like I said, you can see my tank pics in my last post, they don't bother my corals and I have a couple dozen crabs in my reef!

jpmwjm; the emeralds are gonna live off of alge. Never heard of them eatting hair alge, that's usually hermit crabs, but they do eat bubble alge and regular alge. If you don't have alot of alge in your tank, you can feed seaweed!

[rlcline76]

It is plauseable. Put a piece of squid at the end of a bamboo skewer and put it near your crab sometime.

[rlcline76]

In addition, it really doesn't matter how you are able to feed them, as long as they get fed.

[RCBruce]

Didn't mean to step on any toes rlcline, just trying to get a handle on why some people feel they can't have crabs with coral. To me, you can't have a reef without crabs.

[rlcline76]

I assure you, my toes are just fine! I agree, crabs make an awesome addition...mine was just a little aggressive. It won't happen to everyone. I have heard many good stories about emerald crabs to tell someone not to get one.

[mestupidcat]

I'd recommend emerald crabs to anyone with green algae on their rocks. My emerald crabs hide in the rocks half the time but I also see them on the rocks cleaning/eating. I got them to help remedy my bubble algae and haven't seen any since they entered the tank. I'm now planning on getting some similar red mithrax crabs (look the same but red instead of green).

Would anyone suggest anything for sifting the sand (reef safe)? I have a 5 gallon DIY "nano" that's my priority now. I was considering a small star fish but haven't seen any small ones locally. Wouldn't mind a hermit or two. Had those when I was a kid.

Thanks!

[jpmwjm]

I got my Emerald crabs yesterday. After I acclaimated them they went staight to work on my hair algae. This morning they had picked most of the algae off of the bottom inch of the tank glass and were working on the rocks. One though, looked more red than green. Do they have variations in color. Is the male or female more green than the other?

mestupidcat; I will have to say the hermits have helped in sifting the sand. I also found that the nassurius snails I got help a lot. They have been borrowing in the sand alot and keep it sifted pretty good.

[RCBruce]

I don't think you can tell sex by color far as I've read.

[wetpet]

we have a strawberry crab and a emerald in the 75 gallon and those suckers are huge...but they dont bother anyone...they play with the angel fish...well maybe the angel plays with them...they hang upside down and halfheartedly try to grab the angel and it swims in and out of a little cove in teh rocks....they never really even get close, and the angel just keeps coming back again and again...they do it for hours...in my aquapod (29) I have another emerald and i feed it by hand, usually whatever i am feeding the fire shrimp, so a bite of shrimp here a bit of clam there, he loves it

yes i feed my shrimp shrimp...muhahahahahahaha

[mestupidcat]

It's TRUE that crabs will tear up your corals... I've had two emerald crabs and I don't think they did it. I later bought a "tiny reef hermit" for $2; this guy always walked all over the LR. Not a week after having him I wake up and see my small xenia stalk had been mutilated. Some little animal tore the "flowers" off and they were all over the bottom of tank. I truly think it was the "reef hermit" because the emeralds always ate green algae off the rocks and the coral looked nice before it got ripped to shreds (was never bothered until tiny reef hermit was added).

Oh, BTW, I originally bought the emeralds for bubble algae. They did that job- quick. I'd like to get a couple of the red mithrax crabs (look like emeralds but red) to help clean rocks and sand.

[jade4286]

i have two emeralds in my tank with various soft corals and they never seem to bother any of them, one of the emeralds lives in a little cave under a bunch of zoas lol

[swansondan]

I don't have many things in my tank as of yet, but I have 5 emerald crabs and I think they are great, they are always working on eating algae and have never bothered anything in my tank.

[Gohn]

Originally Posted by rlcline76

RCBruce: I had to get rid of my crab. He did well until I got coral and then immediately started taking apart my polyp. This is after I target fed him.

jpmwjm: I was target feeding my crab with squid. He liked it and it gave me peace of mind thinking he might leave his tank mates alone.

My experience showed me that sometimes species behavior depends upon the individual and it may be even be under the same H2O and environmental conditions. EG: Emerald crabs and the mssgs. on this thread seem to back out my assumption. The answer is yes they do and no they don't bother their tank mates. I have one for going on 8 mos who, if I were to use for an answer, would recommend emeralds to all - a perfect citizen. A few months ago I bought a slightly larger one (same store - exact same in any physical description that anyone could see) It Immediately tore apart the bottom of my feather duster. No huge problem, I covered the base with shells and rubble, moved the crab and he went to work on the algae and tidbits for 2 days THEN a couple of days later I saw that same little green, well fed, emerald ripping apart with great vigor, a beloved large, colorful, mushroom that I nourished from a wee nubbin. I adopted that 1 geeenie out, left the other one in. So I don't think there is a stock answer other than if you do get one, enjoy with caution and remember that just because one has an experience with any species, sometinmes individual specimens have deviations in behavior. We have much to learn through experience.
Just one reeflover's opinion.