Emerald crab--going back!

[blorkiemom]

I got an emerald crab the other day to help with the hair algae problem in my Qt. There's a piece of LR in there (I'll move it to the display when the current fish go in) and the crab settled on the rock and started shoveling algae into his mouth as fast as his pinchers would go. Problem is, after three days he's cleaned off almost all the little sponges as well, and just now I realized he's taking off the coraline algae, too--he just spits it out in little flakes! Add to that the copious amounts of poop he makes and that's it. I'm trading him for a turbo snail. Too bad, 'cause he's a cute little guy.

 

[Atari]

I took one back a while ago cause I caught it eating my trumpet coral. :|

 

[blorkiemom]

I think I'm going to pass on all crabs and just go for snails and a few cleaner shrimp. I'm reading "Reef Invertebrates" right now and they aren't too hot on crabs--I think I'm starting to get why.

 

[8965]

both my blue hermits and red scarlett crabs have been bothering my corals for a month now. a few are good to have to clean the substrate, but load up on snails instead. IMO.

 

[quarryshark]

I don't have corals, but both of my Emeralds have been in the tank almost a year and have bothered nothing.
I do feed them sinking pellets every so often to keep the happy. One has grown quite large.