emerald crab

[saltcreep1025]

i just bought some new fish and put them in my tank.... and it looks like my emerald crab is trying to pinch them >.<

would an emerald crab ever try to catch a fish?

 

[BillyZ]

not to my knowledge.. but what fish was this? your fish may be the one to worry about. It may be trying to get at your crab. the emerald crab is likely trying to defend its self.

 

[HoopsGuru]

I have seen emerald crabs catch and eat both a clownfish and a cherub angelfish. They are an opportunistic omnivore and while normally harmless, I have seen my share of ones with bad attitudes. I would never put one in my tank.

 

[fishtender]

I have read that they will eat your bubble algae. I was thinking of getting one for my tank. I have a 55g. How big do they get?

 

[kribbz]

they can get about 3/4" to an 1" in diameter. i have had these in my tank from day one and never had any problems until i got this new one. the new one eats my star polyps, hacked of my coral banded shrimps arms, ate my xenia, and knocks just about every frag off of every shelf in my tank. so he's making me a little angry but i can't catch the little guy to bring him back to the lfs.

 

[HoopsGuru]

I have found the "eating bubble algae" to be hit or miss too. I would be just be cautious in adding one and realize the potential baggage that comes with them.

 

[kidafius]

Interesting. My buddy had one eat a whole leg off his bristle star. Oddly enough, I added a third Emerald to my tank a while back, I already had two who seemed to be mates. Since I added him in, my bristle too, has lost a leg and a few bristles on another leg. That's it! He's coming out and going into the reject tank.

 

[stresco]

Interesting. My buddy had one eat a whole leg off his bristle star. Oddly enough, I added a third Emerald to my tank a while back, I already had two who seemed to be mates. Since I added him in, my bristle too, has lost a leg and a few bristles on another leg. That's it! He's coming out and going into the reject tank.

Maybe that explains what happened to my Serpent Star. He has been missing for a long time.

 

[kidafius]

i would bet that it is. My friend, who is a member here, actually saw it eating the star alive.

 

[stresco]

So how do i catch that little bastard?

 

[kribbz]

i tried grabbing mine with a pair of tongs and the dang thing just cut it's own legs off and hid in the rocks for a few days.