I found a crab coming out my Live Rock.

[Choas]

The Crab is Flat with 2 Big Claws. He just runs out grabs food and then he is gone. I wish I could get a picture. But I did notice he has like 8 leg no Shell. He was a little red I did see that color on him.

 

[austinsdad]

Are his claws pointed or blunt tipped?

 

[Choas]

The Claws Look like oval shaped. They are what he is eating with. I wish he would come out of the cave.

 

[austinsdad]

I've heard folks say that pointed claws are bad crabs. I was thinking maybe Sally Lightfoot when you said he was flat. But oval claws threw me offf again. Here's the Sally Lightfoot...http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=625

 

[Choas]

what I mean is by his body the craws are small then they go bigger at the end. The every end is looks roundish.

 

[Choas]

What would be the Best Way to catch it? So I could get Pic of it? Would a Mouse Cube Trap work?

 

[austinsdad]

I never had to do it, but folks say put a pc of meat (fish, shrimp) in a small glass so that when he goes in, he can't climb back out.

 

[mybug]

Bad crab

I've continued to have crabs crawl out of my live rock even after a year !

One by one most of them I've caught and taken to a LFS. You'll know if you want to keep him or not if he starts tearing at your rock.

A few like the sally lightfoot filter feed but many will tear at your rock and so I usually take them out.

It is a testament to the quality of rock we get from liverocks.com however.

Very cool that a year later I've still got crabs growing up and coming out.

 

[Choas]

I going to try and catch him and sell him to my Lfs Thanks.

 

[melosu58]

I`ve had several Sally light foot crabs over the years and they`ve been good crabs to me. My recent one has been missing for a couple weeks so I guess I`ll have to get another one.

 

[tecwzrd]

I`ve had several Sally light foot crabs over the years and they`ve been good crabs to me. My recent one has been missing for a couple weeks so I guess I`ll have to get another one.

I've thought about adding one of these myself, do they get along with your shrimp and lobster? The ones at the lfs are kind of big (2+") and I hesitate to add from reading this about them "When large, it can become aggressive and catch and eat small invertebrates and fish." Lastly what do you feed it?

 

[melosu58]

I dont feed mine nothing they scavange the bottom and keep your rocks clean. They seem to have about a 2-3 year life span. But all three have never bothered each other.

 

[tecwzrd]

Thanks, I think I'll take a chance Kind of sad for the life span though, I kept a 4” blue crab for 4 years in my brackish tank until finally releasing it when I moved.

 

[Choas]

Well I can't catch him anyway he keeps hiding in the Live Rock Caves. I Moved the rocks and he went in it deeper. O well I guess I will take a pic when he comes out to eat.