Emerald crab ? Worth the risk ?

[Barb0713]

I really want an emerald crab to complete my CUC I have everything else I need. I’m scared that he will hurt my peaceful , big knobby brown brittle starfish and I’m scared he will pick at my coral. So, real experience , should I try it. I have a 20 gallon nano
2 baby clowns
1 blue green cromie
1 watchman goby
1 strawberry conch
The brittle star
2 turbo snails
6 astrea snails
6 nassarius snails
A Duncan (was 5, now a 9!head
A hairy mushroom (now 3 hairy mushrooms )
Fender bender cyphastria
I hammer ( growing a new branch
:) I just want the emerald crab cuz I am manually picking out small bubble algae. Just 1 at time before the grow.
Thanks guys :)

 

[Elira_6301]

I have a lot of emerald crabs and my reef tank and they dont bother anything.

 

[Barb0713]

I have a lot of emerald crabs and my reef tank and they dont bother anything.

Really ? Thanks.

 

[MnFish1]

I really want an emerald crab to complete my CUC I have everything else I need. I’m scared that he will hurt my peaceful , big knobby brown brittle starfish and I’m scared he will pick at my coral. So, real experience , should I try it. I have a 20 gallon nano
2 baby clowns
1 blue green cromie
1 watchman goby
1 strawberry conch
The brittle star
2 turbo snails
6 astrea snails
6 nassarius snails
A Duncan (was 5, now a 9!head
A hairy mushroom (now 3 hairy mushrooms )
Fender bender cyphastria
I hammer ( growing a new branch
:) I just want the emerald crab cuz I am manually picking out small bubble algae. Just 1 at time before the grow.
Thanks guys :)

Have never had a problem with them. That doesn't mean you will not. You can always remove it.

 

[JoJosReef]

I find pitho crabs a safer bet. Same function, less likelihood of going rogue. I've had emerald crabs that love euphyllia. Most haven't been coral earers, but I've often found they become slackers after a while.

 

[crossroads of sanity]

I have always had emerald crabs. Occasionally I get one that goes aggressive but they are pretty easy to remove and replace. I have the best luck starting with the smallest ones at my LFS.

 

[DiscoStuart]

I have one in my 100gal DT and have only seen him once in the couple of weeks I’ve had him! Hoping he’s well behaved but he’s not out near anything I care about so far. wouldn’t mind seeing him!

 

[exnisstech]

I've not had trouble with emeralds. I had pithos in the past but mine stayed under the rocks and grabbed food that blew past and hardly ever ventured out looking for algae to eat. They may have come out at night and I just didn't see them.

 

[kevgib67]

I’ve had my tanks for 20 years, got my first in the 90’s for bubble algae control, did the job. I always kept them because they are fun to watch. About 6 months ago had bubble algae on the last frag I put in the tank and my tank is bubble algae free.

 

[TX_REEF]

I really want an emerald crab to complete my CUC I have everything else I need. I’m scared that he will hurt my peaceful , big knobby brown brittle starfish and I’m scared he will pick at my coral. So, real experience , should I try it. I have a 20 gallon nano
2 baby clowns
1 blue green cromie
1 watchman goby
1 strawberry conch
The brittle star
2 turbo snails
6 astrea snails
6 nassarius snails
A Duncan (was 5, now a 9!head
A hairy mushroom (now 3 hairy mushrooms )
Fender bender cyphastria
I hammer ( growing a new branch
:) I just want the emerald crab cuz I am manually picking out small bubble algae. Just 1 at time before the grow.
Thanks guys :)

I wouldn’t. I’ve seen emeralds eat live coral in my tank. Get a pithos crab instead.

 

[Barb0713]

I wouldn’t. I’ve seen emeralds eat live coral in my tank. Get a pithos crab instead.

Owwwww a new word. Thank you because I’ve not been finding anything else and I been looking. I won’t do peppermint shrimp I’ve had my tangos with them. thank you so much bill go look it up.

 

[Barb0713]

I’ve had my tanks for 20 years, got my first in the 90’s for bubble algae control, did the job. I always kept them because they are fun to watch. About 6 months ago had bubble algae on the last frag I put in the tank and my tank is bubble algae free.

I think it may be a personally thing in each crab because you hear this and then you hear they are Satan’s spawn. So it may be a roll of the dice lol

 

[Barb0713]

I have one in my 100gal DT and have only seen him once in the couple of weeks I’ve had him! Hoping he’s well behaved but he’s not out near anything I care about so far. wouldn’t mind seeing him!

That’s what I thought about my peppermint shrimp until I caught him red handed ( literally lol) shredding my frag

 

[kevgib67]

I think it may be a personally thing in each crab because you hear this and then you hear they are Satan’s spawn. So it may be a roll of the dice lol

Like fish or anything we put in our tanks some can go rogue. I’ve been on R2R long enough to have read people have had these experiences and I don’t doubt them. I’m just sharing my experience and I’ve had dozens over the years. I plan to always have some in my tank so if one did go rogue, I don’t have a sump, I’d just take it back to my lfs.

 

[TX_REEF]

Owwwww a new word. Thank you because I’ve not been finding anything else and I been looking. I won’t do peppermint shrimp I’ve had my tangos with them. thank you so much bill go look it up.

I'm a lifetime fan of reefcleaners, add a few to your next order: https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/pitho-crab

 

[JerryB1232]

I bought one because I liked the idea of having a crab. I started noticing it doing this at night. When the lights turned on in the morning the coral would be damaged in some way. You could see it blindlessly pinching until it grabbed a Polyp and ripped it off. Many people have said that they are reef safe this one did this from day one

 

[timboreef]

I bought one because I liked the idea of having a crab. I started noticing it doing this at night. When the lights turned on in the morning the coral would be damaged in some way. You could see it blindlessly pinching until it grabbed a Polyp and ripped it off. Many people have said that they are reef safe this one did this from day one

I think that’s mating ritual? lol. My emeralds always stay hiding, when they come out, they just scavenge.

 

[Barb0713]

I have one in my 100gal DT and have only seen him once in the couple of weeks I’ve had him! Hoping he’s well behaved but he’s not out near anything I care about so far. wouldn’t mind seeing him!

That’s what I thought about my peppermint shrimp until I caught him red handed ( literally lol) shredding my f

Like fish or anything we put in our tanks some can go rogue. I’ve been on R2R long enough to have read people have had these experiences and I don’t doubt them. I’m just sharing my experience and I’ve had dozens over the years. I plan to always have some in my tank so if one did go rogue, I don’t have a sump, I’d just take it back to my lfs.

right. Thank you so much for your input. I can google stuff but , nothing beats talking to people with experience. I appreciate you guys. I am an experienced fish keeper. Only in coral for 4 to 5 years.

 

[JerryB1232]

Mating ritual or not, it tore up my stylo and birdsnest.

 

[Elira_6301]

I'm a lifetime fan of reefcleaners, add a few to your next order: https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/pitho-crab

Me toooo!