3gal: What kind of crab should I keep?

[Mysterion]

I have a 3 gallon that I'm going to restart. I was wondering if anyone can suggest an interesting crab I should keep. I was wanting either porcelain crab, emerald crab, or gorilla crab. Something cheap and not just hides 24/7. I saw a fellow reefkeepers tank refugium housed a stone crab that was pretty cool and inspired me, but of course stone crabs get too big. Any experience stories/advice appreciated.

[Justind823]

What kind of tank is this going to be and what else are you going to keep in it? Most crabs mostly hide until its feeding time. My pom poms and porcelian crabs always hide until there is food in the water. Then its back to hiding.

 

Look into a decortator crab, that could be cool. Just don't put any expensive coral or anything you care about in there cause it will probably be used for camo.

[Bill Nye]

I have a 3 gallon that I'm going to restart. I was wondering if anyone can suggest an interesting crab I should keep. I was wanting either porcelain crab, emerald crab, or gorilla crab. Something cheap and not just hides 24/7. I saw a fellow reefkeepers tank refugium housed a stone crab that was pretty cool and inspired me, but of course stone crabs get too big. Any experience stories/advice appreciated.

 

What are your other livestock plans? As im sure you know gorilla crabs are not reef safe and from what ive seen get very big and will move your live rock and crap. I would say get some sexy shrimp if your looking for something thats interesting and is out all the time.

[Mysterion]

Its going to have one piece of live rock with struggling gsp. Thats the real reason I'm setting it up since the tank its in is extention cord=weak wattage. I've already got a sexy shrimp, all I don't have is crabs hehe. I just want to find a crab that isn't going to hide all day. I was thinking Sally Lightfoot. I haven't heard of them killing soft coral, just don't know how active they are, and no, I won't be keeping fish in the 3 gal. Btw Justind hows the mantis shrimp doing? Mine turned the flat green color and now I think I'd rather it be red again lol.

[tmhasara]

My Emerald is visible more often than not.

 

Unfortunately, I think their demeanor will vary with each individual.

[snookman03]

Emerald crabs are great, had some algae threw an emerald in on Saturday now my tank is spotless!!!!

[Mustang Boy]

i would put a couple of pieces of live rock in the tank that way you do have atleast a couple of caves and then either go with a pair of pom pom crabs or a small group of porcelain crabs(2-3). also with weak lighting i would do a couple of different colored shrooms just for a little variety besides just the GSP and maybe some yellow polyps.

[Mysterion]

Thanks for everyones advice so far. I know they'll kill fish but would a Sally Lightfoot kill another crab? I had a porcelain crab that I never saw until it got killed by pistol shrimp. An emerald sounds good as well, but how would emerald and sally lightfoot fare? I can get all three at the lfs but it doesn't have pom pom crabs. Not paying over $10 each crab either.

[Justind823]

My mantis is doing very well. He's got a new home to play in now that I switched tanks. Still green but its a very bright green. The same color as some of the macro I have in with him. I would prefer him to be mottled but I'm pretty sure thats never going to happen again.

[Mysterion]

My mantis is doing very well. He's got a new home to play in now that I switched tanks. Still green but its a very bright green. The same color as some of the macro I have in with him. I would prefer him to be mottled but I'm pretty sure thats never going to happen again.

Just checked out your 12g, SAWEET!

[Mustang Boy]

i had a sally lightfoot and i saw it come out and grab a perfectly health emerald crab that i had put in the tank a few days before i couldnt get to it in time to save it though so i would say dont try it.

 

i would still recommend some porcelain crabs, in a tank with no threats they should come out more since there is no threats around. you wont see them alot but you will see their fans going pretty often especially when you put food in the tank for them

 

also im guessing that your mantis is an N. wennerae and they change to a bright green color in higher lighting environments so i dont think it will ever change back colors unless you lower the lighting alot which would hurt your macro growth

[keydiver]

I'd also say porcelains are your best bet. A strawberry crab would be sweet but theyre a little pricey. You could do a squat lobster which is kinda like a crab lol....I wouldn't do a sally light foot, most people reccomend 20+ gallons and they get large and aggressive.

[straydog]

The anemone porcelain is usually the least shy but also the least colorful. If its a invert and coral only you could go with very minimal rock so the inverts couldn't hide as easy.

[Mysterion]

I appreciate the advice everyone, hows porcelain and emerald together sound? If I can't see them as much at least I can put a couple in that will get along?

[Mysterion]

I should search more before I post! So I'll probably just get the porcelain, transfer the sexy shrimp to the 3gal along with some mini hermits and possibly a pom pom if a lfs has them.