Crab on the loose #@$%...

[MT79]

The other day I bought a Birds Nest coral w/ a pink/purple mixed crab. Well he has since left the coral for another place to live in my tank. My question is do I have to worry about my blue linkia star??? I'm nervouse about my cleaner shrimp and purple firefish also-The firefish sleeps in a hole in the LR easy to ambush. Has anyone found crabs have an appetite for stars?? I know they like fish, shrimp, and most other things they can catch, but Linkias??????...Thanks guys

 

[quarryshark]

Don't know about your crab, but I had to pull an emerald the other night that was munching on my CC star.
I would keep a close eye on it.
Can you get an ID on the crab?

 

[MT79]

"Fusion of branches is extremely common, and there is a species of crab that actually imprisons itself in the branches by manipulating the coral's growth pattern while she waits for a small mate to crawl through the branches to her." Quote By Eric Borneman concerning Seriatopora AKA birds nest coral. I assume it was this type of crab. It claws definitely looked like they could do some damage. FWIW the crab is less than an inch now.. I'll keep looking myself. Thanks

 

[jamal-188]

IMO all crabs are evil

Now that I said that I'll tell you within the past month I've introdueced about 8 acro crabs that came on various frag/colonies...but I'm hoping they will stay there and not bother anything.

I've had so many evil crabs from my live rock kill tons of snails, it makes me sick to think of all the $$ they eaten. I also removed an emerald crab a few weeks back that suddently developed a taste for my clams

 

[MT79]

all crabs are evil

I agree- I don't keep hermits for that reason- I was tired of replacing snails. Like you said , regarding Acro. crabs, I ASSUMED it would stay in the Birds nest b/c I had read that. Coincidence?- the night I got it and the coral I lost a cleaner shrimp....? It is not like my porcelain anemone crab either, this thing looks like it will be nasty and could do just fine on it's own. I have a QT I could put it in if I can catch it.

 

[youronlysin]

So would snails be more beneficial as a cleanup crew than a lot of crabs? I thought you could never have too many crabs. Thats just heresay, though.

 

[jamal-188]

So would snails be more beneficial as a cleanup crew than a lot of crabs? I thought you could never have too many crabs. Thats just heresay, though.

I personally do not use any hermits as clean up..my entire clean up crew is a few kinds of snails(nassarius, margarita, cerith, nerite)

 

[MT79]

my entire clean up crew is a few kinds of snails(nassarius, margarita, cerith, nerite)

Me too, it's a personal choice though, some people insist on having hermits as part of thier clean upcrew. Back to the crab They have appetites for clams huh?!

 

[pool_dude]

do crabs eat anemones, because my hermit crabs always go over it, so I flick em off.

 

[jamal-188]

Back to the crab They have appetites for clams huh?!

Well for whatever reason this crab didn't bother anything in my tank for around a year. Then a couple weeks ago I came home to find him pinching a piece of the mantle of one of my crocea's. Needless to say I remove him right away. It tore a good chunk out of the manlte but luckily the clam has fully recovered. I will never again introduce any crabs into my tank.

 

[MT79]

I will never again introduce any crabs into my tank.

I hear that. Update-The crab is back in the bird's nest today, thank goodness! I'm not sure what I'm going to do w/ it... Thanks QS, Jamal-188.