emkovar Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 So this little fella came along with the live rock i bought from the LFS. Originally I thought that he was a Emerald Crab, but on my tank posting someone thought he could be a Gorilla Crab? I was worried he wasnt going to have anything to eat until the tank is further along in its cycle, but today when i got home I caught him chowing down on a bristle worm that he had half pulled out of a hole in the rock. I guess he isn't going to starve. Im a little worried that he'll munch on any other inverts that I add into the tank when it finishes cycling. Link to comment
emkovar Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 sorry the glass is spotty - I didn't want to run the mag cleaner by him and scare him. Link to comment
amphipod Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I'd keep him in a crab only tank, separate from main display, it'd be a shame to waste the fun to be had from a pet crab, but it would also be a shame to have the crab killing your clean up crew and potentially other tankmates. Also probably mithrax Link to comment
amphipod Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Emerald. a type of mithrax to my knowledge Link to comment
ndrobey Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 The sharp tipped claws indicate not a mithrax or emerald crab. He is already eating your clean up crew. Say bye bye. Link to comment
emkovar Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 So i think he'll stay for now. When the tank has done cycling ill add a snail and see what happens. If he eats it, back to the lfs for him. Link to comment
hypostatic Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 The sharp tipped claws indicate not a mithrax or emerald crab. He is already eating your clean up crew. Say bye bye. No, this looks just like a mithrax to me. Eerything from the claws, to the eyes, to the legs: Link to comment
cromag27 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Generally reef safe. they'll pick at bubble algae too. but like any other crab, they can be opportunistic scavengers. gorilla crabs look completely different. I have a strawberry emerald that's all pinkish red. Link to comment
amphipod Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 So i think he'll stay for now. When the tank has done cycling ill add a snail and see what happens. If he eats it, back to the lfs for him. get a spare small tank just in case, you will probably encounter more crabs and they are fun as pets, they are just not always trustable, like a supplement pill salesperson sitting at an amusement park, he could be fun to hang around but he might not always be that trusty. Link to comment
jamescstein Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 get a spare small tank just in case, you will probably encounter more crabs and they are fun as pets, they are just not always trustable, like a supplement pill salesperson sitting at an amusement park, he could be fun to hang around but he might not always be that trusty. That is an oddly specific analogy. Story behind it? Link to comment
amphipod Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 That is an oddly specific analogy. Story behind it? no, I just love making illustrations to convey messages across, it works better than otherwise. Link to comment
Dr.Brain Coral Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 It looks exactly like an emerald Link to comment
emkovar Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 Crabby update. He is still in the tank. He stopped eating the bristle worms after we got some algae growth. I Introduced 4 snails yesterday. No interest in them yet. So far it looks like he might stay. I really enjoy watching him, but we'll see how things progress. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 +1, looks like an emerald to me. reef-safe is a relative term for these guys though.. Link to comment
metrokat Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Green Mithrax and Emerald crab are the same crab. And like all crabs they can be chill or terrors. I like crabs. The Emerald Crab is well respected for its scavenging ability. It will enthusiastically feed on uneaten meaty foods and many types of nuisance algae. Unlike many other animals, Mithraculus sculptus will eat bubble algae and helps clean your aquarium of these algae. Its distinct, flat shiny green body and hairy legs easily identify the Emerald Crab. Native to the reefs of the Caribbean, the Emerald Crab is nocturnal and hides in caves and amongst rubble during the day. In the home aquarium, this member of the Majidae family requires a well-established aquarium with plenty of rockwork and hiding places. Once familiar with its surroundings, the Emerald Crab will venture out of hiding during the day to forage on algae. Care needs to be taken to ensure an ample supply of food is available for the Emerald Crab. Many aquarists supplement the Emerald Crab's diet with dried seaweed and chopped meaty foods, such as shrimp, as well as a quality pellet fish food. Otherwise, this opportunistic feeder may turn to corals, invertebrates, or small fish for a food source. However, when well fed, most Emerald Crabs are very tolerant of their tankmates and highly compatible in reef environments. Like other invertebrates, the Emerald Crab does not tolerate copper-based medications or fluctuating water parameters. Link to comment
Ga912 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Mine ate my hitchiker snails. Rip them to shreds but didn't bother nothing else Link to comment
Kijho Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 100% emerald Good guys, they eat algae quick - and sometimes bubble algae if you're lucky. I have always had one. Link to comment
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