Crab invader

[rock_lobster]

Anyone recognize this cute little guy? He showed up in my tank a few weeks ago.

 

[meir]

Anyone recognize this cute little guy? He showed up in my tank a few weeks ago.

Watch how just cuz u said cute little guy he's gonna turn into a huge ugly coral eating monsta l[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] like I feel like whenever someone says ohhh look at this cute little guy it always it's always big and bad for example in finding nemo every time someone says ohh cute little guys it always huge and bad[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji108]

 

[meir]

I'm not sure to exactly what it is but I'll try to find it for ya brb

 

[cloak]

Maybe a "Shame-Faced" crab?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rs/index.php

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/12/inverts

 

[meir]

Ok quick Q that'll hel me identify this crab what kind of LR do u have? Was it taken from the ocean or from a tank and if from the ocean where geographically was it from

 

[Tahoe61]

Maybe a "Shame-Faced" crab?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rs/index.php

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/12/inverts

^ This was my guess as well a type of Calappa, the claws just did not fit.

Wish I still had access to chuckaddiction links. He had a really nice crab ID section.

 

[meir]

Either a shame face or a box crab of some sort

 

[meir]

Whatever the crab is it's rly pretty

 

[rock_lobster]

Hmm im not sure where he came from unfortunately since my tank has no liverock he must of came on some coral I got from a local or else ordered. I think he looks like either the box or shame face but just doesnt have those weird looking claws. In either case what I have read is that they will eat anything they can get their claws on from fish, clams, shrimp, and snails so that is kinda worrisome. The only good thing is my tank is just 16 gallons so I can easily pick him out of there at any time... Im not aware of any crab that eat coral if that were the case I would need to get him out of there asap!

 

[LadAShark]

Hmm im not sure where he came from unfortunately since my tank has no liverock he must of came on some coral I got from a local or else ordered. I think he looks like either the box or shame face but just doesnt have those weird looking claws. In either case what I have read is that they will eat anything they can get their claws on from fish, clams, shrimp, and snails so that is kinda worrisome. The only good thing is my tank is just 16 gallons so I can easily pick him out of there at any time... Im not aware of any crab that eat coral if that were the case I would need to get him out of there asap!

There are many crabs that will eat corals. It might sound horrible, but I suggest either finding someone who's interested in keeping a species tank for that crab, or humanely killing it. You can wait to see if it will kill your prized animals, but I don't think that is a good idea.

 

[meir]

Hmm im not sure where he came from unfortunately since my tank has no liverock he must of came on some coral I got from a local or else ordered. I think he looks like either the box or shame face but just doesnt have those weird looking claws. In either case what I have read is that they will eat anything they can get their claws on from fish, clams, shrimp, and snails so that is kinda worrisome. The only good thing is my tank is just 16 gallons so I can easily pick him out of there at any time... Im not aware of any crab that eat coral if that were the case I would need to get him out of there asap!

I was kidding with you abt it eating coral but it like whenever ppl say things are cute little guys they always end up the exact opposite
[emoji23]

 

[LadAShark]

I was kidding with you abt it eating coral but it like whenever ppl say things are cute little guys they always end up the exact opposite
[emoji23]

Haha! Well yeah, in this case, it's more likely to eat all of this guys fish, inverts, and snails, BEFORE switching over to corals.

This guy definitely doesn't have the anatomy of a crab that stays under 5"

It sort of looks like a calico crab, but that's definitely not what it is.

I'm betting it's some sort of box crab.

 

[meir]

Hey little guy....I'm calling you squishy and you shall be my squishy-dory

Look how that one worked out for her

 

[LadAShark]

Hey little guy....I'm calling you squishy and you shall be my squishy-dory

Look how that one worked out for her

Exactly how this is probably going to turn out.

Although it might turn out like the part with the anglerfish. Looked teeny, turns out to be a monstrosity.

 

[Salty1962]

I wouldn't chance in my DT. To the sump he should go!

 

[rock_lobster]

Hey little guy....I'm calling you squishy and you shall be my squishy-dory

Look how that one worked out for her

HAHAH thats probably what will happen I saw him crawling around today still didnt have the guts to flush him. I do feed my tank pretty heavily so Ill just keep an eye on him for now. If anything goes missing he will be number one on the suspect list. I do also have an emerald and a few other hermits so there will be multiple suspects.

 

[meir]

Take salty1962's advice and move him to ur sump or fuge!! I personally don't have a sump or fuge but I do have 2 hermits that were ticking off the corals in my tank so I put them in the filtering chamber and they've been there ever since

 

[meir]

 

[meir]

And it's worked for me it's better safe than sry cuz let's say one night while u r sleeping it decides to eat ur most expensive critter whether it b fish or coral and u wake up to the critter dead and a nice fat crab worth nothing and all u had to have done was to put it in ur sump (not even saying to get rid of it) now ur hundred dollar fish or frag is dead now what

 

[LadAShark]

And it's worked for me it's better safe than sry cuz let's say one night while u r sleeping it decides to eat ur most expensive critter whether it b fish or coral and u wake up to the critter dead and a nice fat crab worth nothing and all u had to have done was to put it in ur sump (not even saying to get rid of it) now ur hundred dollar fish or frag is dead now what

Or worse, he kills more than one.