Foods for a filter-feeding crab

[danch]

One of my LFSs had a little filter-feeding crab in one of their live-rock tanks. I'm considering 'rescuing' the little guy but would like to know what/how to feed such a creature before I start trying to explain to my wife why another tank is needed

This guy doesn't seem to be associated with any anenome or coral at this time. I'm sure he's a filter-feeder - he has the fan adaptation on one pair of legs, and I watched him do his fan-dance yesterday.

Would bottled phyto be appropriate? Marine snow type products?

Is there anything else to know about a critter such as this?

TIA!

 

[J. Montgomery]

If you're talking about a porcelain crab, I had one that happily accepted the same food as all the other tank inhabitants. They can eat solid food in addition to "filter" feeding all day and night. Sadly, mine died in a molt

Mine lived in an Anthelia coral.

I personally don't like any bottled "foods" (phytoplankton or zoaplankton) as the vast majority of it is likely dead. Every time I've used bottled foods and supplements, cyano typically isn't too far behind.

 

[wicked_NaCl_h2o]

My blue porcelain crab likes enriched brine shrimp, cyclopese, and phytoplex. The blue porcelain crab also sifts the sand a little bit to eat pods that are all over my tank. I break the frozen cube of cyclopese into a smaller piece, defrost them in salt water, and then dump the defrosted cyclopese in the tank. The porcelain crab loves it and sifts the water frantically with its fans to grab the cyclopese out of the water.

 

[danch]

Cool! Now to explain why I want to set that little 21/2G up again...

 

[danch]

I've been assuming that this kind of a guy would be best in a species tank, that he'd be hiding and never seen in my reef. Can anyone confirm or refute that assumption?

 

[J. Montgomery]

No, I used to see my white porcelain anemone crab often.

 

[danch]

Great, thanks again!