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Do emerald crabs kill turbo snails?


Reef_Addiction

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Reef_Addiction

HI all, I recently just added an emerald crab to my tank, I have 3 turbo snails, and they died all of a sudden. They were all fine before I introduced the emerald crab, which is why I can only think that it is the villain. Everything as a far as my water parameters are in check. Thanks for your help!

 

Niño

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not likely .. they are usually algae eaters.. however they are scavangers too and will eat anything that is dead. I dont think they would eat them..

 

fast salinity or alk changes would kill the snails.. or sometimes mantis or pistol shrimp would eat them.

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Actually yes they do. They are not herbivores. They are opportunistic omnivores. That means that if they can catch it they will eat it.

 

Ime, some emeralds like meat more than others. My first had rounder claws and couldn't care less when I fed the tank. My second had pointier claws and always had 'em waving when I fed the tank. All crabs will eat meat if it's there but what I have found is my hermits and emerald won't eat a snail unless it's on it's way out already. Hope that helps

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As I pointed out they are opportunistic omnivores. Almost all crabs are.

 

That means that they can and will eat meat, vegetable matter (algae et al), detritus, etc. It all comes down to how easy it is for them to get relative to its nutritional value (think what the crab has a taste for)

 

Healthy snails are able to retract into their shells and close that hard "foot" so that they can't be reached. Sick snails can't. Thus the crab(s) have easy access and will eat them.

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danthenewreefman

really I think it depends on the personality of the specific crab. or some variable I'm not aware of so I just call it "personality"

 

some are death machines, some are peace loving hippies.

 

I mean they'll all eat something dead/dying, but beyond that....personality.

 

at least in my little experience with 4 different emeralds.

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As I pointed out they are opportunistic omnivores. Almost all crabs are.

 

That means that they can and will eat meat, vegetable matter (algae et al), detritus, etc. It all comes down to how easy it is for them to get relative to its nutritional value (think what the crab has a taste for)

 

Healthy snails are able to retract into their shells and close that hard "foot" so that they can't be reached. Sick snails can't. Thus the crab(s) have easy access and will eat them.

 

^^my post was in agreement with yours..

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