Is it my emerald crab?

[Bougie]

I know there's lots of posts on do emerald crabs eat zoas. Sounds hit or miss. I have 3 zoa frags. Just got an emerald crab and a purple dottyback. Ever since the zoas have looked like crap. The frags weren't glued down well and I keep finding them on the bottom of the tank and I have to pick them back up. Now one looks like it got part of it eaten. Is it the emerald crab? I also have 2 clownfish, 1 diamond goby, 4 hermit crabs, 1000 snails

 

[Newbiereefer98]

Hard to say for sure unless you catch them in the act. Crabs in general for me have always been hit or miss. In my current tank I have removed all hermits and emeralds as I find they do more harm than good.

 

[TattooedReef27]

I have never had a emerald mess with my zoas other than walking on them just keep a eye on the. Check ur tank at night time

 

[Bougie]

Well I caught the SOB (emerald crab) in the act. He wasn't eating the zoas per se, but he was aggressively picking around them and kind of squeezing the polyps. So I think he has to go :_(

 

[littlefoxx]

I know there's lots of posts on do emerald crabs eat zoas. Sounds hit or miss. I have 3 zoa frags. Just got an emerald crab and a purple dottyback. Ever since the zoas have looked like crap. The frags weren't glued down well and I keep finding them on the bottom of the tank and I have to pick them back up. Now one looks like it got part of it eaten. Is it the emerald crab? I also have 2 clownfish, 1 diamond goby, 4 hermit crabs, 1000 snails

Ive had emeralds eat zoas. I usually find them dead on the zoa…

 

[gregrock68]

Hard to say for sure unless you catch them in the act. Crabs in general for me have always been hit or miss. In my current tank I have removed all hermits and emeralds as I find they do more harm than good.

How were you able to catch the emerald crabs? I have tried using a bottle with bait inside, they wouldn't come near it. Any suggestions appreciated before he takes another chunk out of my torches and zoas!

 

[bubbgee]

Are they hungry? I broadcast feed frozen mysis or cyclops and sometimes leave a lot of nori scraps for them to find around at night. They never bothered my zoas that way.

 

[BryanM]

Well I caught the SOB (emerald crab) in the act. He wasn't eating the zoas per se, but he was aggressively picking around them and kind of squeezing the polyps. So I think he has to go :_(

Yup, mine had to go as well. My hermits all seem fine though.

 

[gregrock68]

Yup, mine had to go as well. My hermits all seem fine though.

How did you catch yours?

 

[gregrock68]

Are they hungry? I broadcast feed frozen mysis or cyclops and sometimes leave a lot of nori scraps for them to find around at night. They never bothered my zoas that way.

I don't have heavily feed my tank and have a pretty good routine to keep phosphates and nitrates under control. I have to be careful since both tanks are 40 gallons, so things tend to shift rather dramatically when I make changes. I'm hoping I can bait them somehow and catch them, but I figured I'd ask since other people have caught these in the past

 

[BryanM]

How did you catch yours?

He was often flexing up against the glass, was easy to get him in a net.

 

[Gribbles]

I caught mine in the act of eating a zoa that I had glued to a small rock. Pulled the rock out, grabbed the crab and sumped him.

I have a large rock structure but I initially attach my corals to smaller, individual rocks for reasons just like this. Also really helps with fragging.

 

[BristleWormHater]

How were you able to catch the emerald crabs? I have tried using a bottle with bait inside, they wouldn't come near it. Any suggestions appreciated before he takes another chunk out of my torches and zoas!

Pull up a chair and wait for an opportune moment to snatch him.

 

[gregrock68]

Pull up a chair and wait for an opportune moment to snatch him.

Guess I should grab a stiff drink for the evening show in front of the reef tank