Emerald Crab

[Pittsford_Pets]

Thoughts on emerald Crabs? Are they active? Please link a quick care guide. My tank has ich so I moved all the fish out so now it's kinda boring. 20g nano so it'd be a little replacement haha. No rude comments please, just speculation

 

[Heliarc19]

I love mine, only get one for sure. Sometimes they are active especially if hungry. Usually all I see are some arms hanging out

 

[Pittsford_Pets]

I love mine, only get one for sure. Sometimes they are active especially if hungry. Usually all I see are some arms hanging out

Do they eat coral?

 

[Heliarc19]

I have heard rumors of it but never seen it personally

 

[ThunderGoose]

For activity in a nano I'd recommend sexy shrimp or Pedersons shrimp, they're out more than emeralds. I also tend to see my porcelain crabs more than I see the emeralds.

I've never had a problem with emeralds personally.

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

I hear of them occasionally eating something they shouldn't. Usually if it happens then they don't stop and it's usually a male from what I hear.

 

[rock_lobster]

They are like angels. Only a matter of time.

 

[Kmsutows]

Go for the females emeralds if you get them. They don't get nearly as big and have been good in my tank

 

[becks]

mine sometimes picks bits off the coral skeletons, so far it's left the polyps alone but I think it depends on if your tank has enough food.

Maybe look at porcelain crabs? Not the anemone porcelain. They do best in pairs and will sift the water column

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Emeralds are mostly nocturnal and will find a hidey hole during the day. All crabs are opportunistic eaters, meaning if they are hungry and it's in front of them, they'll eat it. If you have plenty of algae for it to graze on and feed plenty they should stay relatively safe. They will eat snails if they are hungry, or not... seems they love eating snails. They do however eat bubble algae, and seem to be made for destroying the stuff. I'm fixing to add one for a bit of bubble algae.

 

[Michael Cronmiller]

My only experience with an emerald was catching it breaking off chunks of my chalices and devouring it.... great to eat up GHA but once it's gone give it a home in the sump

 

[ntayler]

Mine hadn't eaten anything, but the frag flipping and rearranging of things got old

 

[ntayler]

I have about 10 in my fuge and they demolish the bad algae, even pick through the chaeto

 

[DracoKat]

I've an emerald for over 2 years now, pretty big. Never bothered my corals. I've seen it pick at it, but it's going for the food on the coral. Once or twice I've seen it take food from the coral's mouths.

I've added 2 more smaller emeralds and found a mirthrax crab hitchhiker. all has been good in the tank with no worries. The red mirthrax is most active and I see him out and about more than the emeralds

 

[ntayler]

I have about 10 in my fuge and they demolish the bad algae, even pick through the chaeto

 

[ntayler]

Yeah I rarely saw mine in the display, but frequently observed their night time decorating in the mornings. If mine were out more during the day I would consider putting up with the effects of their brute strength, because they are pretty cool creatures

 

[john mazzara]

Has anyone ever seen them open up there lower carapce and mess around in there with their claws? Had one on my stylo did it while he was hanging from his legs.

 

[bobman]

I have had many many emerald crabs. I have only had an issue with one. He was huge and anytime I tried to put coral in the tank he would go straight to it and eat it. Other than that one though the rest of them have been great citizens and great addition to a clean up crew