Live rock Hitch Hiker Help!!

[ChiTownRomeo]

Ok I ordered 65 pounds of Fiji CURED live rock from premium aquatics. BEAUTIFUL rock!! I put it in the tank and 3 weeks later I noticed debris started coming off it alot and made the sand look like crap. So I got a baby brush since it was soft and took it out and scrubbed it to get the loose stuff off. I put 1 of the rocks back and all of a sudden these 2 crabs come out. Can anyone tell me if they are reef safe? I trapped 1 under a siphon tube and got away so I'm hoping it is safe to have.

 

[Mrc8858]

Hard to tell in the pic but they look like horseshoe crabs which they are reef safe I believe bit can grow very large.

 

[cashmoney6980]

Hard to tell in the pic but they look like horseshoe crabs which they are reef safe I believe bit can grow very large.

X2
I was thinkin the same thing with horseshoe crab. But like he said, it's kinda hard to tell from the pic. And he is right, they grow to HUGE sizes! Seen some at the Ripleys Aquarium a couple weeks ago that were about 2.5-3' wide. They had them setup so u could walk up and pet them. Kinda cool.

But if it's got a white "shell" with some small legs underneath and a tail out the back, it very well could be a horseshoe crab.

 

[ChiTownRomeo]

Nah its not that. I have seen horseshoe's. this thing had claws and was mean trying to attack the siphon tube lol.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Nah its not that. I have seen horseshoe's. this thing had claws and was mean trying to attack the siphon tube lol.

I agree. It isn't a horseshoe. I'd flush the poor little guys. You're going to be putting way to many expensive animals in the tank to risk their safety over a free hitchhiker.

I once helped a doctor setup his tank when he got a shipment of Florida aquacultured live rock. When he saw me picking off a few crabs and placing them into a container to dispose of them he insisted he keep them as they were obviously part of the ocean ecosystem. Despite my warnings he put em in the tank. Three months later he offered to pay me to break down his 200 gallon tank and catch the freeloaders that were killing his fish, snails, hermits and corals. So much for being "free". -_-

 

[ChiTownRomeo]

I agree. It isn't a horseshoe. I'd flush the poor little guys. You're going to be putting way to many expensive animals in the tank to risk their safety over a free hitchhiker.

I once helped a doctor setup his tank when he got a shipment of Florida aquacultured live rock. When he saw me picking off a few crabs and placing them into a container to dispose of them he insisted he keep them as they were obviously part of the ocean ecosystem. Despite my warnings he put em in the tank. Three months later he offered to pay me to break down his 200 gallon tank and catch the freeloaders that were killing his fish, snails, hermits and corals. So much for being "free". -_-

I agree. I just have to catch them now. that's the hard part. They were in the tank for a long time before I spotted them yesterday...

 

[Jaketit]

Try to grab them at night

 

[crister13]

Don't flush them thats horrible. They look kinda like porcelain crabs. I would keep them. They won't kill anything at that size.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Don't flush them thats horrible. They look kinda like porcelain crabs. I would keep them. They won't kill anything at that size.

Without a definitive ID on the crabs it's impossible to know if they're capable of killing anything now or later on.

People inject aptasia to kill them all the time. They feed ghost shrimp to large fish, brine shrimp to small ones, they toss unwanted snails from planted tanks, and poison or trap pests in their own homes. When a pest arises it's an aquarists obligation to remove it from the aquarium in the same way that we remove fleas from the family dog or cat. There's no moral issue to be debated here.

Now, if it can be positively identified as a completely harmless crab that won't attack the other animals the person here intends to keep, then that's another matter. At best, I'd ask a LFS if it wants it, otherwise it's best to send it packing. I can't imagine a fish shop would take it in. It's a risk that most shops would never consider and wisely so.

 

[ChiTownRomeo]

I have yet to see them again. Hopefully will see one again soon.