I've got crabs!

[patman3d]

Ok, I've got 3 crabs, and it appears to be 2 different species?

Here's the first one. It is sized about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter? When I found it, it usually hanged on the underside of live rock in a cave-like setting. Very hairy looking fella. I did a search on the internet and only came up with the "Gorilla Crab" from the Tampabayliverock website.

Here's a photo that I grabbed when it was feeling courageous... I saw it climb up a rock and snatch a blue legged hermit right off the rock, and no, it did not eat it. I did find the next day empty shell of an astrea snail I purchased the day before, right where the crab dropped the hermit

This next one looks to be a tad bit different. Also hairy looking but a bit smaller, maybe about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. I think this guy snatched parts of the starfish that starved about a couple weeks ago. (the star's legs were removed from right where I found this feller). The 3rd one looks just like this but was super tiny... maybe 1/4 inch or so??

I have since taken out the larger one and was in the process of grabbing the med sized one but it got away from me. It lives just under the rock and just where the sand meets the rock, in a little crevice like area.

The third one, I've only saw it once when first putting in the live rock.

So, are these crabs baddies?

 

[Fluff]

They both look like predatory crabs to me. I'd remove them. The top pic looks like a xanthid crab and will peck off your snails. The other one I'm not sure on species but the claws scream predatory/meat eater.

 

[roka64]

I think the 2nd and 3rd might be a Teddy Bear Crab/Anemone Crab...but I could be wrong....

 

[patman3d]

Since these guys are kinda tiny how am I to try and get them out of the tank?

I've thought about the bottle trap thing, but I haven't seen them crawl up on the rocks...

 

[Fluff]

Really, that's about the only way I know to trap them. Since they are small, maybe one of the commercial mantis traps would work. They are designed to sit on the sandbed. Here are some links to show you what it looks like. Most reef catering lfs's will sell these.

http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=04-2312
http://www.ultralifedirect.com/traps.htm

 

[patman3d]

I don't want to flush them down the toilet so would they survive in one of those betta tiny tanks?

 

[Fluff]

Probably not. There's really not enough room in those tiny tanks for them. You could return them to your lfs. Sometimes they will take them for puffer and trigger food. Otherwise, if you know someone with a sump/refug, maybe they could take them. Unfortunately there are very few options for these types of crabs. They are only doing what they need to but sadly, that's usually destructive to our systems. Course, you could always set up a simple ten gallon tank for them. A tank, a few chunks of liverock, hob filter or even just a small powerhead would be fine for them.

 

[patman3d]

Thanks for the advice.

I guess it's time to start a fuge or soemthing

 

[mykpoz]

I used a skewer to kill them with once they locked themselves in a hole... =\