crabs in acros

[parrot1012]

i know when i got most of my acros there were the little whitish crabs that came with them but also there were a couple of brown fuzzy ones w/blue eyes they have been in the tank for close to a year i dont think they are doing anything bad but iam not sure are these bad and if so what do they do that makes them bad? i tried to take a pic but without a macro lens its useless,anyone have any dealing w/these guys?

 

[Acronic]

the whitish ones are trapezia crabs and are simbiotic with the acro, the latter is a bad crab xanthid crab I believe. Im guessing the one you are seeing has thin black claws?

 

[parrot1012]

yes it does look like they have thin black claws,what should i do with these guys they are pretty well in the acros will they damage the coral?

 

[Alex T.]

Fuzzy = bad.

A few years back I thought I had a case of RTN when a Acropora Humilis and Pink Birdsnest started shedding skin like crazy before my eyes. I fragged some healthy areas and a small black crab with fuzzy claws hopped out of the birdnest and hid in the rockwork. I blasted him later that night with a turkey baster, netter him and dumped him in my refugium. He was still there 2 years later when I broke down that tank and I still have the birdsnest and humilis. Find it, capture it and get it out of your reef.

 

[1Sik1500]

white ones are welcomeed and help clean the acro. the Brown fuzzy crabs are no good.

 

[parrot1012]

any suggestions on getting them out?ii have a second tank w/lps and softies would it be safe to put them in there or just get rid of them?

 

[fcmatt]

It is surprising that you are getting crabs now days as most places dip corals and in my
opinion this results in them no longer being with the coral when it is sold.

I rarely see them anymore which is a shame in one way but in another I am glad that LFS
are aware of all the pests that come with corals that dipping hopefully removes.

 

[TreyK]

the whitish ones are trapezia crabs and are simbiotic with the acro, the latter is a bad crab xanthid crab I believe. Im guessing the one you are seeing has thin black claws?

Actually they are Tetralia..

Trapezia are slightly larger, and have equal sized claws. They will also host a variety of sps including pocillopora, stylophora, seriatopora, and Acropora, whereas Tetralia will only host acropora...

Edit for a cool link: http://www.chucksaddiction.com/coral_crabs.html

 

[choboreef]

I'd remove any crab that is fuzzy and doesn't look friendly.
Rest of the crabs I just leave them as someone mentioned, they're symbiotic.

 

[acroholicreefer]

Okay, so you have had them in your tank for over a year now with no problems. I wouldn't do a thing then. I have them in my tank and I rarely see them.

 

[BuckeyeTodd]

It is surprising that you are getting crabs now days as most places dip corals and in my
opinion this results in them no longer being with the coral when it is sold.

I rarely see them anymore which is a shame in one way but in another I am glad that LFS
are aware of all the pests that come with corals that dipping hopefully removes.

I received two recently from two different stores, one of which is very well known. One came out when I dipped, the other one didn't come off with dip. I didn't spot him till he was in my display, he appears to be blue and I haven't seen any fuzziness so I've let him be.