target feeding not just corals

[biss444]

i have been target feeding certain corals, and my anemones, but one day when i was feeding the anemone my darn cleaner shrimp took it upon him self to jump on my tonges and help himself, then i saw a emerald crab and thought i would try to feed him, thinking i would scare him of but he jumped right on and started eating, then another emerald behind him came over waving his claws scared the first one away and finished up . just thought it was so funny

 

[200 gallon reef]

They are opportunistic, and will certainly take advantage. I do love my emerald crabs tho.

 

[biss444]

yeah and those two emeralds are holding up in the same cave wonder if love is in the air

 

[200 gallon reef]

Lol. Never know

 

[MacDracor]

I hate emerald crabs. Dirty little coral killers.
But yeah, I always target my cleaner shrimp when it's time to feed corals and anemone because otherwise he steals. I sometimes target my brittle star, too because it's fun to watch him grab a chunk and pull it under to his mouth so fast. Nobody steals from that star!

 

[mr_X]

I've never had an emerald crab that ate coral. Target feeding is good. I hand my emeralds 1" square chunks of nori on occasion. They look for it now.

 

[MacDracor]

I've had two emeralds. One was intentional, one hitchhiked in on a piece of rock. First one went after my torch within 5 minutes of being dropped in the tank, and was after zooanthids a couple hours later. Second one liked to crawl inside my birdnest and eat the polyps.
I know crabs are hit or miss, but I've missed twice and just don't consider them worth the gamble anymore.

 

[200 gallon reef]

Macdracor - what kind of coral have you seen ur emerald crabs eat?

 

[MacDracor]

Zooanthids (two types), Torch, and green birdsnest. I'm sure they picked on others when I wasn't looking though.

 

[biss444]

someone gave me an emerald crab that was eating his coral, he said he fed his tank sparingly and thats why he said the crab was hungry, in my tank he hasnt touched anything i dont feed sparingly either, with the size of my tank,200 gallon and the large cleanup crew i have , i don't worry about uneaton food.

 

[Bkmrsteel]

Macdracor - what kind of coral have you seen ur emerald crabs eat?

Branching hammer coral! seen the guy picking things off the rock, then the corals branch, then up the branch and munching on the top.

Haven't seen it happen again, but dropping some bottom feeder food in to help then and the britle star