hitch hiker

[mason]

Hello all i have fiji rock that was out of water fo 3 days then i added it to the tank and that was to start the tank up i had ammonia and nitrites spiking.. but to my surprise it has been 7 months now i just noticed that i have a hitchhiker in the rock? it does not look like a manti shrimp it looks like a crab of some sorts for he wont leave out of the rocks. does anyone have a idea of what it might be it has really big claws..Also how would it have surrived out of water so long and also with the ammonia and nitates?It still amazes me how it would have lived and now how doi get it out with out dismantleing my tank?

 

[neilanh]

Without a picture or better description it'll be very difficult for us to ID.

 

[melosu58]

Moved to SW ID forum.

 

[mrg02d]

Yould be surprised at how well some critters can survive ammonia and other toxins. Life finds a way!

You can bait the crab out with a glass and some mysis shrimp. Set the glass on its side, and at an angle so that the crab can walk in but not walk back out.

Then take a picture of him. He may not be that bad.
Matt

 

[mason]

I cant get a picture of him bc he will not leave the rock. The crap sticks a empty snail shell in the hole so we cant see him. lol. It is a blackish gray color with red eyes. I will try to get a pic. @Matt thanks I will try your idea to see.

 

[cmor1701d]

It is probably coming at night to feed. That's why use a glass tilted against the rock and baited. At night the crab will go after the food, but not be able to get out of the glass. In the morning you will be able to take its picture.

This may take a few nights before it works.

 

[mason]

See pics of crab

Is this a gorilla crab? I got him out of the rock today, See picture. I have more but having problems uploading them, Will try again later
thanks

 

[mason]

 

[mr_X]

still hard to tell with the small pic. do you have a sump? toss him in there and let him live. i did that once with a very tiny crab and he grew to about the size of an egg in a year or so. when i broke my tanks down i gave him to a friend for safe keeping. he turned out to be a brown egg crab, which is listed among the threatened animals of singapore.
here's a recent pic of my little buddy-

 

[milhous3er]

thats a really cool story Doug. the guy did get pretty big !!

 

[mason]

Thats what mine looks like

 

[melosu58]

Very nice picture Doug. Cant get any better than that.

 

[mason]

should i put food in the sump for the crab abd some live rock?

 

[mr_X]

you can feed him if you like, but usually he'll get what he needs from food coming down the overflow. more live rock won't hurt the tank, but it's not necessary. the little guy might like it though.