Brown and white mystery crab

[TheJonesHome]

My profile photo is of a mystery crab in my tank. I'm looking for assistance identifying it so I know if it is or isn't reef safe. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
It is brown. It has white stripes on its legs and white dots on its claws. Its right claw is larger than the left.

 

[thincat]

By the shape of the clays I would say that it is not reef safe. When It gets larger it will start to prey on your fish and snails.

 

[TheJonesHome]

help

Then how can I get rid of it? It NEVER comes out of the rock? And the tank is only 12 gal. Not much room to poke around!!

 

[thincat]

If the rock is removable, remove the rock and put it in a bucket of freshwater. The crab will move out of the rock. Second if you can't remove the rock is to put a glass container at a 45 degree or larger angle and put some bait on the bottom. Put this close to the rock with the crab and wait. the crab will go into the glass, but will not be able to get out.

 

[TheJonesHome]

Thanks, I'll try that. I'll have to use a shot glass because that's all that will fit.

 

[thincat]

How big is the crab? a shot glass seems very small.

 

[TheJonesHome]

It is ~1.5cm overall. I put the shot glass in there with frozen brine shrimp bait. I caught a hermit crab. The mystery crab acts very interested but will not leave the rock. I tipped it so that it is actually touching the rock now and most others can't get in. He's too smart or too chicken! I'll leave it overnight.

 

[HN1]

Try the same thing after lights out and use a flashlight an hour later.

 

[thincat]

+1...

 

[TheJonesHome]

No luck. I watched it for a while. It would stretch to try to reach the food but would not let go of the rock!!

 

[HN1]

Sorry to hear that. I was really rooting for ya. It seems pretty common to have trouble catching critters. Someone on our local club site posted a $50 hit on a CBS yesterday. LOL

 

[thincat]

Well, just keep that shot glass in there for a few more days. He still might go in there once he gets used to the glass being there. If not just keep an eye on it.