Are hairy leg crabs pests to Acros?

[todd williams]

I have discovered a hairy legged crab on one of my acros. I don't see any damage but I have been told these are a pest and I should kill it. Don't like to do that unles I know for sure. It is greenish, quite compact, the size of a finger nail, with fuzzy legs. From the top it looks sort of like a balloon knot. The legs touch each other like your fingers squeezed together.

Any help appreciated.

 

[James404]

I recently had one of these on a mariculture colony I picked up. I had left it for a few weeks figuring I would see how it goes. I finally decided he had to go, it got to the point he was visibly irritating the coral and some polyps stopped extending. Took him out and the coral is doing much better.

 

[M Woodhill]

I have discovered a hairy legged crab on one of my acros. I don't see any damage but I have been told these are a pest and I should kill it. Don't like to do that unles I know for sure. It is greenish, quite compact, the size of a finger nail, with fuzzy legs. From the top it looks sort of like a balloon knot. The legs touch each other like your fingers squeezed together.

Any help appreciated.

yup, exactly. i had one few days ago. when i found it, it ate almost two branches of my little stylo colony.

 

[M007]

Bad crab! :blown:

 

[todd williams]

Thanks.


R.I.P.

 

[choboreef]

Sad day to be a crab

 

[MammothReefer]

I toss em all in the sump. They are scavengers. Might as well put them to work vs just killing them.

 

[todd williams]

I tell ya they don't want to let go of the acro they are attached to!!

I did notice after it was gone that it was eating poyps off the lower ends of the acro's branches. Glad I got rid of it before the damage was too great.

 

[franklypre]

Be nice and just kill it quickly, don't leave it to starve in a sump, all they eat is SPS.

 

[MammothReefer]

Be nice and just kill it quickly, don't leave it to starve in a sump, all they eat is SPS.

What are you basing this on? I've got an army of them in my sump for ages.