Green Emerald Crab

[Jarred Darque]

OK, I have a Green Emerald crab in my 10 gallon. I also have some hitchhiker crapbs and some shrimp. An anenome crab (banded clinging crab) a very small rock crab, a camel shrimp anda pepermint shrimp.

with the exception of the green emerald, all have molted at least once, and continue to do so. The green emerald has been in the tank the longest, and even has coraline growing on the top of his shell. I dont 'think' he is full grown, a hair over half an inch across on teh body.

Is this ok? Should I be worried? Does he need more iodine to molt than the others?

Also, I have never seen him clean up on algae before, but I have seen him eating the frozen brine shrimp, and he has tried to catch my fish (he was unsuccesful, at least so far, but it is only a matter of time till he catches one of the clowns sleepin on the sand)

 

[roka64]

Crabs generally tend to be more aggressive as they get bigger, and might kill your fish or other inverts. It is strange, that he would have coraline on him. How often do you do PWCs? I imagine with all those crabs, the iodine/iodide gets depleted rather quickly. One more point, new crabs/shrimp tend to molt more often when first added to a tank and less the longer they are in there.

 

[Jarred Darque]

ok I do PWC right now, honestly, about once every 2 weeks. I know :/ need to get back to the once ea week thing, just been busy w/ school.

 

[melosu58]

My only concern is all them crabs in a 10 gallon tank will cause a problem. They will sooner or later attack the shrimp and fish. Just keep an eye out.

 

[lando]

the rock crab and hitchhikers will certainly casue a problem down the road. The emerald is a great addition and should not bother anything. I suggest taking the rest to the LFS and looking for some scarlet reef hermits or a porcelin crab

 

[Jarred Darque]

BTW, I am actually in the process of upgrading. Once the lights I am ordering comin (a few weeks at most) The livestock will be in a 29 gallon tank. The 29g is already set up, salted, substrate seedd and cycling atm.

As for the rock crab, I understand he will get BIG. Once he gets too large for the tank (the 29) he will be removed. ATM his body is less than 1/4 inch across, very very small.

Basically, before any of the crab grow much more at all, they will all be in a new tank, and the only additions to inverts, a few ness. snails, maybe 5 more hermits, a cleaner shrimp (one of the larger ones now that I can fit one) and a pistol shrimp to go w/ a pistol goby.

 

[melosu58]

It`s up to you but you should think about the pain of getting these crabs out of your tank. There are ways to try to get them out but they dont always work and then you are stuck with tearing the tank apart. Just something to think about.

 

[hc8719]

catch my fish (he was unsuccesful, at least so far, but it is only a matter of time till he catches one of the clowns sleepin on the sand)

what kind of clowns do you have? my o. clowns sleep at the top every night, maybethats not normal?

 

[melosu58]

what kind of clowns do you have? my o. clowns sleep at the top every night, maybethats not normal?

Clowns sleep where they want to sleep. I`ve seen mine sleep on the top, on the bottom, behind the HOB overflow, in a corner, under a rock and recently in my bubble coral and pagoda Cup coral.

 

[Jarred Darque]

they are O. Clowns, right now they sleep on the sand near the front of the tank, the same place they spend most of the day