Lugmos12 Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Saw this today for the first time in the tank. is it a baby emerald? I have an emerald crab in the tank. 1 Quote Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 There are tens of thousands of different kinds of crabs and many haven't been identified. The best course of action is to keep an eye on it. If it's so small you might lose it in your tank, find a way to isolate it. Crabs are opportunists and detrivores, even the "safe" crabs can turn rogue. I prefer to assume reef-safe until they prove otherwise. It is awfully cute 1 Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 i'm gonna take it out until i find more info Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 A few more pics to help with the ID Quote Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted August 20, 2017 Share Posted August 20, 2017 Not a foolproof method, but one way to tell if it's a good guy or not is by the claws. See photos below. If it has straight, needle-like claws, it is most likely a predator. If it has dull, rounded claws for scraping algae, it's most likely an algae/detritus eater. A lot of crabs look look very similar. I've had a crab like that hitchhike before and it was fine. In a nano tank, if it's causing harm, you should be able to tell quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted August 20, 2017 Author Share Posted August 20, 2017 It's so tiny i'm not sure i'll be able tell if it's causing harm or not Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted August 27, 2017 Author Share Posted August 27, 2017 okay so the crab is still alive and it's color changed; now looks more green like an emerald. 1 Quote Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 So cute! Keep it fed if you don't want it in your tank. You can also just toss it in your refugium if you have one. Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted August 27, 2017 Author Share Posted August 27, 2017 5 minutes ago, tashayar said: So cute! Keep it fed if you don't want it in your tank. You can also just toss it in your refugium if you have one. I don't want to throw it away (bc that would be mean). I'm also not sure what kind of crab it is. Because it also looks like an European green crab Quote Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 I think it's an emerald. Where is the rock from? Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted August 27, 2017 Author Share Posted August 27, 2017 Just now, tashayar said: I think it's an emerald. Where is the rock from? My rocks came from an LFS, and a local reefer (came with some corals i bought the were attached to it). Quote Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 Yes but where- I mean is it from the Carib sea, Indian Ocean, the Gulf, do you know? Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted August 27, 2017 Author Share Posted August 27, 2017 Oh I'm not sure about the exact origin of the rocks. Quote Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 That might help narrow down the crab ID, tho it's a long shot. Do you have some kind of HOB filter? You could throw some rock rubble into it and put the crab in there. Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 Perhaps get a little breeder net for him and watch him grow up. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 On 8/27/2017 at 3:28 PM, tashayar said: That might help narrow down the crab ID, tho it's a long shot. Do you have some kind of HOB filter? You could throw some rock rubble into it and put the crab in there. my tank has a hood so I can't use an HOB; i place him in the second compartment of my sump with live rock. 1 Quote Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 Sounds good- I don't like to kill things either. 1 Quote Link to comment
Lugmos12 Posted September 1, 2017 Author Share Posted September 1, 2017 3 minutes ago, tashayar said: Sounds good- I don't like to kill things either. Yea I don't want to remove it without even knowing if it is reef safe or not. I'm actually curious if the emerald crab in my tank gave birth; I haven't seen any more tiny ones so idk ??♂️ 1 Quote Link to comment
BustytheSnowMaam Posted September 1, 2017 Share Posted September 1, 2017 You wouldn't see miniature versions of adult crabs- they go through several larval stages (with a molt in between each one) that bear little resemblance to adults. They become part of the zooplankton that floats in the water and becomes food for fish and corals. I have seen newly acquired Hawaiian hermits give birth. The larvae cling to the hermit's abdomen, and she pushes the abdomen in and out of the shell to release the larvae into the water. They don't survive in our systems, but are a food source for tank inhabitants. In my tank, what I assume were male crabs surrounded her and (I think) mated with her again after she released the larvae. This is a Youtube video (not mine) of what I'm talking about. You see the hermit releasing larvae at about the 40 second mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrUz9uINR-c 1 Quote Link to comment
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