crab reproduction

[dman17878]

will emerald Crabs reproduce in home aquarium? I know they will attach eggs to underside of rocks but will they hatch? I've seen a emerald crab that is only approx 1/4 in across so small that looks unlikely that it was sold, I know that I havent purchaced any this small and it has been 4-5 mos since I did purchace any (2 quarter size 2 about the size of .50 ct piece) the largest I could find. I have purchaced some corals and about 4 or 5 zoa colonys attached to nice size live rock . So what are the chances is it reproduction or is it relocation?

 

[greenbean36191]

Extremely unlikely. The larvae have a long planktonic stage during which they're extremely fragile and make great fish and invert food. The chances of them surviving to settlement in a reef tank, which produces very little appropriate food for them, are slim to none.

 

[mamagoose45]

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but are you sure it is indeed an emerald crab and not some other hitch hiker (good or bad) that's been hiding in your rock work and you just now noticed him?

 

[dman17878]

Im prety sure its a emerald crab (I have 4 large ones) but to make sure I did some looking arround and did not see anything else that looked like it when I next see it I will take pics and post but as I previously stated if they dont reproduce in tank it came in on a rock with zoa colony just have not seen one this size

 

[Atarax]

i have had my semerald crabs reproduce i have only had one survivor he was about the size of a dime when he went MIA

 

[dman17878]

Today i spoke to the person whom I purchaced the corals from and he stated that he had not seen a emerald crab in his tank in over 2 years and today I saw the crab and its definatly a emerald crab I took some pics but have yet to figure out how to edit pic and point to small crab