what the hell?

[solefald]

I've had this emerald since february and he has never nipped at any corals. he likes to hang out on my birdsnest, but does not touch it. he also likes to hang out with this BTA, which i had for a week or so.

 

Last night I am sitting here looking at the tank, and this bastard climbs on top of the BTA and just starts ripping up one of its tentacles and eating it!!! Right in front of my eyes. I got him off it, but the BTA was pissed off for a while. Woke up this morning and the BTA has moved to another spot and not looking so good, so i suspect he may have gone for another snack in a middle of the night.

 

Do i really need to get rid of this guy? He has been a model citizen up until now and definitely alot of fun to watch.

[Criley7]

I've had this emerald since february and he has never nipped at any corals. he likes to hang out on my birdsnest, but does not touch it. he also likes to hang out with this BTA, which i had for a week or so.

 

Last night I am sitting here looking at the tank, and this bastard climbs on top of the BTA and just starts ripping up one of its tentacles and eating it!!! Right in front of my eyes. I got him off it, but the BTA was pissed off for a while. Woke up this morning and the BTA has moved to another spot and not looking so good, so i suspect he may have gone for another snack in a middle of the night.

 

Do i really need to get rid of this guy? He has been a model citizen up until now and definitely alot of fun to watch.

 

I would get rid of it. It is much less of a loss then the BTA. Once they develope a taste for something they won't stop unless there is none left.

[solefald]

I would get rid of it. It is much less of a loss then the BTA. Once they develope a taste for something they won't stop unless there is none left.

 

damn. thats what i was afraid of. oh well, gonna move this bastard into the other tank.... it has nothing but snails, rock and another emerald thats missing 3 legs.

[Tenor]

I got rid of mine after saw he was ripping my Acan apart. Emerald crab is good for bubble and green hair algae but will turn into corals when the supply gone.

[bizzarro]

I have 3 emeralds and never seen them bother any of the mushrooms, zoas, and star polyps. I have one that has really big claws.

 

When I feed, I throw in a bit extra for the inverts like my serpent brittle and other bottom dwelling inverts so they'll be less inclined to eat other things.

 

The only thing my emeralds ate was all the prolifera I had...

[solefald]

I have 3 emeralds and never seen them bother any of the mushrooms, zoas, and star polyps. I have one that has really big claws.

 

When I feed, I throw in a bit extra for the inverts like my serpent brittle and other bottom dwelling inverts so they'll be less inclined to eat other things.

 

The only thing my emeralds ate was all the prolifera I had...

 

i always make sure this guy gets some food, so there is no way he was hungry. i just fed the tank about an hour before this happened.

 

I suspect the BTA may have been smelling like food so he just went for it.

[bizzarro]

Is your BTA near the substrate? I don't see my emeralds on top of the rocks usually always clinging underneath it or walking on bottom glass.

 

I've only seen my sally lightfoot pick and steal from the corals that are about to eat the pellets that they snared.

[Criley7]

Crabs in general are never reef safe, almost all of them really.

[solefald]

Is your BTA near the substrate? I don't see my emeralds on top of the rocks usually always clinging underneath it or walking on bottom glass.

 

I've only seen my sally lightfoot pick and steal from the corals that are about to eat the pellets that they snared.

 

Nope. it actually all the way at the top. It moved itself there, but the emerald goes all over the tank. I don't think there is a spot in my tank that he hasn't been in yet. He is all over the place, all the time.

[wyattroa]

I got rid of my emerald after if tore a gash in my scoly..It was gone within 5 minutes.

[banshee]

My emerald walked right into my BTA and took a chunk of silver side right out of the mouth. It's always my male that pulls this stuff. The female rarely even comes out from her little cave in the back. I'm pretty sure they're both going to make a trip to my pico in the near future.

[patback]

Mine never touched anything for months, then ate a little aptasia once. I literally gave him away to a member on here after u saw him claw deep in my torch corals mouth.

[Mr. Microscope]

+1. The emerald crabs are fun to watch, but I gave mine away to someone with a FOWLR tank when it started eating my acans and yumas. I was even handfeeding it big chunks of chaetomorpha -daily-. Greedy bastard!

[metrokat]

I've had this emerald since february and he has never nipped at any corals. he likes to hang out on my birdsnest, but does not touch it. he also likes to hang out with this BTA, which i had for a week or so.

 

Last night I am sitting here looking at the tank, and this bastard climbs on top of the BTA and just starts ripping up one of its tentacles and eating it!!! Right in front of my eyes. I got him off it, but the BTA was pissed off for a while. Woke up this morning and the BTA has moved to another spot and not looking so good, so i suspect he may have gone for another snack in a middle of the night.

 

Do i really need to get rid of this guy? He has been a model citizen up until now and definitely alot of fun to watch.

This would be awesome for nano radio on the reef ##### and moan episode.

[Rollenbor]

Mine has turned to the dark side too. He torn a snail straight out from his shell lastnight. He's been getting more and more aggressive last couple weeks. Ive got to trap him and get him out.

[kevlow]

I've had this emerald since february and he has never nipped at any corals. he likes to hang out on my birdsnest, but does not touch it. he also likes to hang out with this BTA, which i had for a week or so.

 

Last night I am sitting here looking at the tank, and this bastard climbs on top of the BTA and just starts ripping up one of its tentacles and eating it!!! Right in front of my eyes. I got him off it, but the BTA was pissed off for a while. Woke up this morning and the BTA has moved to another spot and not looking so good, so i suspect he may have gone for another snack in a middle of the night.

 

Do i really need to get rid of this guy? He has been a model citizen up until now and definitely alot of fun to watch.

 

 

These have become some of my favorite threads.

 

A couple times a month somebody will write about thier emeralds going on a rampage.

 

BTAs, Frogspawns, Torches, Acans, and Blastos are always the victims.

 

The perp was always a model citizen, eating only algae, and occassionally rescued Timmy, who had fallen in a well. ( for those old enough to remember the Lassie reference)

 

I understand when this happens the first time to reefers who are new to the hobby.

 

The amazing part is when long time hobbyists are shocked about their model citizen turning Jeffrey Damher.

 

It is pretty well documented that these crabs have the potential to do this. The surprizing and entertaining part is that we are still shocked and surprized when they do.

[Mr. Microscope]

Mine has turned to the dark side too. He torn a snail straight out from his shell lastnight. He's been getting more and more aggressive last couple weeks. Ive got to trap him and get him out.

Good luck! I had to practically tear apart my frag tank to get mine.