Crab Identification
- Thread starter Chisel
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Fluff
Aquarium Advice Addict
That is a pic I've seen many many times. It is an xanthid species and is a preditory crab. He will make short work of your snails but I doubt will stop there. I had one that completely cleared my tank of nassarius snails before I caught him.
Fluff
Aquarium Advice Addict
He will emerge at night. If it doesn't have the black tips then it might not be xanthid. If you can catch him, post a pic outside the tank and we'll see what you got. Either way though, crabs are always a risk to keep as they get larger. If you have a sump or fuge area, they do make great clean up critters but I'd be hesitant to keep one in my main tank area.
I managed to get a better look at him last night after everyone went to bed. Ok....I was up watching Monday night football. 
Anyways, After the tank lights switched over to the LED moonlights, I gave it about a half an hour and I went over tot he tank with a flashlight. Sure enough, The first spot I check, there it is. It froze like a deer in headlights. For the firs time, i was able to get a better look at it. It does have the same stripe pattern that the above pic has BUT, the claws are definitly not black. They are a light brown. It also has what looks like very corse or stiff hairs. Not a load of small ones but tall ones. Getting it out of the tank would be such a task and I would have to tear down the new aquascaping job that i did just before I started this thread. Figures, it's in one of the main support rocks.
Anyways, After the tank lights switched over to the LED moonlights, I gave it about a half an hour and I went over tot he tank with a flashlight. Sure enough, The first spot I check, there it is. It froze like a deer in headlights. For the firs time, i was able to get a better look at it. It does have the same stripe pattern that the above pic has BUT, the claws are definitly not black. They are a light brown. It also has what looks like very corse or stiff hairs. Not a load of small ones but tall ones. Getting it out of the tank would be such a task and I would have to tear down the new aquascaping job that i did just before I started this thread. Figures, it's in one of the main support rocks.
pat8you
Aquarium Advice Addict
PM melosu he has a link on catching crabs and stuff i think. There are a couple ways to do it without tearing apart your tank. Crabs are suckers for food. You can bait a trap and put it in after the lights go out and you will stand a good chance of catching him.
