Zoas suddenly bouncing back after emerald crab removal

[rusty shackleford yes]

If you look in my old post you’ll see this massive zoanthid colony that I had purchased for 20$. Unfortunately a few months later (also when I added a new emerald crab…) the colony would start dropping polyps like crazy. Until about a few weeks ago all that remained of the colony was around 20 polyps on the top of the rock, which would rarely ever open.
About a week ago while I was cleaning the tank, I saw my emerald crab just munching away on my Green Star polyps, I also noticed my hammer coral had been damaged. So I took that little bugger out and flicked him into the sump.

Ever since I got rid of him, the Green Star polyps have actually been opening & my zoanthids started opening up! They are starting to grow back a bit, and I’m hoping the colony will recover.
Though now I have several zoanthid colonies dotted around the tank, as some of the polyps landed on rocks and started growing.

Also please make sure that when you are buying an emerald crab, that it’s a female!!! Just ask the LFS worker to look at its undercarriage to make sure it’s a woman crab. I’ve never had issues with female emerald crabs, while every male one I’ve seen munching on corals.

 

[rayadog]

Is there anything else in your tank for the crab to eat?

 

[rusty shackleford yes]

Is there anything else in your tank for the crab to eat?

yeah AN ENTIRE FOREST OF HAIR AND BUBBLE ALGAE GAHHHHH

 

[NeMoo]

If you look in my old post you’ll see this massive zoanthid colony that I had purchased for 20$. Unfortunately a few months later (also when I added a new emerald crab…) the colony would start dropping polyps like crazy. Until about a few weeks ago all that remained of the colony was around 20 polyps on the top of the rock, which would rarely ever open.
About a week ago while I was cleaning the tank, I saw my emerald crab just munching away on my Green Star polyps, I also noticed my hammer coral had been damaged. So I took that little bugger out and flicked him into the sump.

Ever since I got rid of him, the Green Star polyps have actually been opening & my zoanthids started opening up! They are starting to grow back a bit, and I’m hoping the colony will recover.
Though now I have several zoanthid colonies dotted around the tank, as some of the polyps landed on rocks and started growing.

Also please make sure that when you are buying an emerald crab, that it’s a female!!! Just ask the LFS worker to look at its undercarriage to make sure it’s a woman crab. I’ve never had issues with female emerald crabs, while every male one I’ve seen munching on corals.

I have caught an emerald chowing on my stylo….. he found a new home I took him back they said they can’t refund me I said I didn’t want money back just crab gone so they took it

 

[rusty shackleford yes]

I have caught an emerald chowing on my stylo….. he found a new home I took him back they said they can’t refund me I said I didn’t want money back just crab gone so they took it

I put mine in the sump, I’m making a 3 gallon pest tank soon and I’m just going to put him in there lol

 

[NeMoo]

I put mine in the sump, I’m making a 3 gallon pest tank soon and I’m just going to put him in there lol

No more emerald crabs…..

when I was new new I would pick hermit crabs off my zoas with tongs little 14 gallon cube