Emerald crab UFC

[Kleko]

So, I caught my crabs fighting on the sand in my tank. One was on top of the other pinching his face! I couldnt belive it. I quickly grabed a net and tried to seperate them. They scurried off As the net came close. I was always wondering how one of the crabs lost an arm. This explains it! Has anyone else had thier emralds brawlin it out? Any sugestions? Or were they mating?
Thanks

 

[Zakk]

I think my last emerald was mowing down softies.  I haven't had one since. I replaced them with cleaner shrimp...you see them more often and they don't eat coral. 

 

[IrishPride]

I had 4 Emarald Crabs.  Great for the longest time until I started noticing some weird things happening in my tank.  It all started with my Coco Worm getting a funky looking hair cut.  Then my snails turning up dead.  One night I decided to hang around and watch with the night lights on.  Took a while, but he eventually came out of hiding and was running around trying to grab fish, mowing on my leather (as Zakk said) and attacking the other crabs.  This one in particular was the largest of the bunch and pretty much my Denise the Menice!! 

That night I decided I would pull him out of the tank the next morning and take him to a new home.  Turns out it was a night too late as he killed my new Clown Goby I had bought that day.

Long story short....pull him outta your tank.

Just my two cents.

 

[phi delt reefer]

This one in particular was the largest of the bunch and pretty much my [glow=red,2,300]Denise the Menice[/glow]!! 

Just my two cents.

LOL - french female version of Dennis the Menace?

 

[IrishPride]

LMAO.....

You got er'

 

[TORX]

You may want to supplement the Emerald Crab's diet or they [glow=green,2,300]may turn to corals, invertebrates, or small fish for a food source[/glow].

 

[IrishPride]

You may want to supplement the Emerald Crab's diet or they [glow=green,2,300]may turn to corals, invertebrates, or small fish for a food source[/glow].

Now you tell me.....LOL
Just another example of why I like this site so much

 

[phi delt reefer]

thats another thing about reefing. never over do it.

i would have just got one emerald crab for a tank your size. It would have probably taken a couple months for him to get the algae in control but he would have stuck to algae the entire time. Even with fish, if you deplete their food source they can flip on you and start looking elsewhere for new food sources.

I got the smallest one i could find and hes slowly picking away at my bubble algae. By the time he clears out one area and starts another there will probably be some growing back at the original spot and he will have enough food. They are scavengers so having crap on teh sand bed for them will help keep them happy.

 

[Blob-79]

ya emerald crabs can be beneficial when they are small..but full grown, they can be dangerous to keep

 

[Kleko]

I have 3 in my 40g, theres hair algae thier eating. Should I keep less than 3

 

[TORX]

They are omnivores, they eat both plants and animals as their primary food source. Try chopped meaty foods, such as shrimp, as well as a quality pellet fish food.

 

[phi delt reefer]

3 is a lot imo, only because they eat a lot and start getting mean when they run out of food. I would maybe get rid of one or two and that way you can balance his food source with the algae in your tank.

 

[MDGraves]

I have 3 in my 135g
Last night as my lights were going into sunset mode 2 of my crabs were facing off. They where not fighting but rubbing each other and shaking their legs. I can only asume they were have a date, and a good date at that, lol