flameangel88
New member
Is this the bad crap? Sorry I could get the front.
Which crap is this one?
Good crap.
Which crap is this one?
Good crap.
Good crap, Bad Crap & ?? Crap
- Thread starter flameangel88
- Start date
Is your b key broken?
Anyhow, the first one is a gorilla. He's bad. Although amusing if you have a separate tank for him.
Not sure on the 2nd one. I think I recall someone else posting a picture of that before, so somebody around here must know what that is. Of course when it comes to crabs, always remember "When in doubt, take him out."
3rd is the porcelain crab. Definitely good. In fact they are the only crabs I truely trust in my reef tank.
Anyhow, the first one is a gorilla. He's bad. Although amusing if you have a separate tank for him.
Not sure on the 2nd one. I think I recall someone else posting a picture of that before, so somebody around here must know what that is. Of course when it comes to crabs, always remember "When in doubt, take him out."
3rd is the porcelain crab. Definitely good. In fact they are the only crabs I truely trust in my reef tank.
flameangel88
New member
Thanks. After loading all the pics at 2am, typing was mostly paste and after getting the first one wrong then the rest you see. At that hour b & P looked the same to me.
btw--I read here a lot that the gorilla crab is bad but in what way? Don't remember anyone mentioning it.
The second picture--I saw a bigger one this morning and the claws were mostly white and almost like boxing gloves.
I read emerald crabs are reef safe but I see them pulling almost everything off live rocks and chewing them but have to say they were very careful walking on the brain coral especially with those very pointy legs.
btw--I read here a lot that the gorilla crab is bad but in what way? Don't remember anyone mentioning it.
The second picture--I saw a bigger one this morning and the claws were mostly white and almost like boxing gloves.
I read emerald crabs are reef safe but I see them pulling almost everything off live rocks and chewing them but have to say they were very careful walking on the brain coral especially with those very pointy legs.
First one is a gorilla. Considered a bad crab, but I keep them in the tank for my mantis to feed on.
Second is a stone crab. A real bulldozer and almost doubles in size with each molt (4-5 weeks). never saw mine do anything wrong, but got tired of him re-aquascaping my aquascaping.
Third is porcelan. Good crab.
Second is a stone crab. A real bulldozer and almost doubles in size with each molt (4-5 weeks). never saw mine do anything wrong, but got tired of him re-aquascaping my aquascaping.
Third is porcelan. Good crab.
1:gorrila. Kill them when you can. When you add the second shipment these get real hard to catch.
2:Strange purple crab. Ive found two in my tank. The first one I saw jump out from a rock, grab a hermit and return too his rock to eat him I presume. He was squished and fed to the star fish. The second one is still loose in my tank. Ive tried to catch him with some giant tweezers no less then 4 times. Each time he escapes! They are fast, and now that hes about 2 inches accross hes terrifying. His claws are HUGE. Hes atleast twice the size now of any other crab in the tank. I got to kill him before he decimates my crab population =( Hopefully he goes after some gorrilas.. hehe
3&4:Really pretty looking porcelains you got there! Nice camera work. They are awesome to watch. The only thing one of them ever touched was the cucumber. The cucmber decided he wanted to move over to the porcelains favorite "fan feeding" spot. Try as he might, the crabs small stabbing pinchers were no match for the cucmber, he just kept on moving lol. Almost moved on top of the crab, but the crab finally gave up and moved. Guesss theres not much you can do against something 20 times your size =P
2:Strange purple crab. Ive found two in my tank. The first one I saw jump out from a rock, grab a hermit and return too his rock to eat him I presume. He was squished and fed to the star fish. The second one is still loose in my tank. Ive tried to catch him with some giant tweezers no less then 4 times. Each time he escapes! They are fast, and now that hes about 2 inches accross hes terrifying. His claws are HUGE. Hes atleast twice the size now of any other crab in the tank. I got to kill him before he decimates my crab population =( Hopefully he goes after some gorrilas.. hehe
3&4:Really pretty looking porcelains you got there! Nice camera work. They are awesome to watch. The only thing one of them ever touched was the cucumber. The cucmber decided he wanted to move over to the porcelains favorite "fan feeding" spot. Try as he might, the crabs small stabbing pinchers were no match for the cucmber, he just kept on moving lol. Almost moved on top of the crab, but the crab finally gave up and moved. Guesss theres not much you can do against something 20 times your size =P
I hope this will help
CRABS:
almost all crabs feed on anything they can find.
if they can not find dead fish or other "tasty" snacks then they start hunting down other food items -- like soft coral.
so unless a crab is one of about 3-4 known "safe" ones then it can and will eat something you do not want it to eat.
including corals, fish and anything else....
most crabs get big, as they get big and hungry they will turn rocks over to find hidden snacks...
some crabs are one of the rare expeptions are the porcelan crab.
they are "good" due to the different way they feed... they feed in a way that is more like a feather worm or a barnacle by extending fine feeding nets to catch stuff in the water...
so as such they do not turn rocks over or use claws ro rip at corals.
the other crabs some folks feel are ok are known to feed almost 100% on alge -- like sally light foot or mithrax.
in a hard coral only tank I think arrow crabs can be ok -- check on that one as I am not for sure...
so basicaly if it's not one of the few I mentioned then 99% sure it's not good for the small reefs we keep.
in the gulf or the caribean the crab is part of the food chain and feeds other criters that are bigger -- so they are kept in check.
in our tanks we become the "top preditor" and have to balance the scales.
Grand Wazoo
New member
Speaking of craPs--I started with two Gorilla's and a Porcellan. Tonight I noticed two more tiny Gorilla's like the one in your first picture. I think the first two mated and had puppies. Been trying to catch these little bastids for weeks and weeks to no avail--I've tried all the known tricks. Funny thing is, is that they don't bother anything in my tank that I am aware of. So maybe I'll let them stay--they hide in the rocks most all the time...
Nice pictures. Good camera...
Nice pictures. Good camera...
flameangel88
New member
This has to be my lucky day and least expecting this.
I caught it (with the Sears tool and I tried many times with no luck) from behind and couldn't really see when I released as the rocks were in the way. It's in my 3gal holding tank right now with the 1st one I caught from the 1st shipment. Looks like this could be a pair as they are not fighting under the rocks.
I caught it (with the Sears tool and I tried many times with no luck) from behind and couldn't really see when I released as the rocks were in the way. It's in my 3gal holding tank right now with the 1st one I caught from the 1st shipment. Looks like this could be a pair as they are not fighting under the rocks.
flameangel88
New member
Thanks. The gorilla crab is always hiding and last night was the first time it came out in the open nontheless very difficult to get at.
Am I glad to get the mantis out and now I don't have to worry as much in sticking my hands in to move things around but still have to watch out for the emerald crabs (I got 3 and they are big).
Am I glad to get the mantis out and now I don't have to worry as much in sticking my hands in to move things around but still have to watch out for the emerald crabs (I got 3 and they are big).
flameangel88
New member
The mantis always come out looking for food but I have yet to it go hunting for fish but I do have alot of snail empty shell pile in the tank. I've been trying to get the mantis for a week now but it learns quickly every time it see the tool and will retreat but I was lucky tonight and caught it from behind.
Ok I'll share my pattented gorilla trap again. Take a shot glass. Put some food in the bottom. Lean it up against the rock near where the crab hangs out. Eventually you may find your shot glass full of a bunch of hermits plus a gorilla crab.
Gorilla's will try to fool you. They'll lurk around appearing not to cause any trouble. And you'll think he's not so bad, I'll just leave him. Then when you least expect it, he'll end up stealing a ricordia and bringing it deep into a cave to chew on!
Gorilla's will try to fool you. They'll lurk around appearing not to cause any trouble. And you'll think he's not so bad, I'll just leave him. Then when you least expect it, he'll end up stealing a ricordia and bringing it deep into a cave to chew on!
flameangel88
New member
This one is coming out of the tank tonight.
flameangel88
New member
I got the gorilla crab out here's another picture of the porcelan crab. As you can see from the picture the tube coral is dying, matter of fact ost of the tube coral in the tank are dying. How are yours doing? I'm not sure but may be somebody is eating them.
figuerres said:
'CRABS:
almost all crabs feed on anything they can find.
if they can not find dead fish or other "tasty" snacks then they start hunting down other food items -- like soft coral.
so unless a crab is one of about 3-4 known "safe" ones then it can and will eat something you do not want it to eat.
including corals, fish and anything else....
most crabs get big, as they get big and hungry they will turn rocks over to find hidden snacks...'
I agree as I see the emeraldcrab eating sponges off the rocks.
figuerres said:
'CRABS:
almost all crabs feed on anything they can find.
if they can not find dead fish or other "tasty" snacks then they start hunting down other food items -- like soft coral.
so unless a crab is one of about 3-4 known "safe" ones then it can and will eat something you do not want it to eat.
including corals, fish and anything else....
most crabs get big, as they get big and hungry they will turn rocks over to find hidden snacks...'
I agree as I see the emeraldcrab eating sponges off the rocks.
Good photo... you can see the feeding fliters extended!
also make sure the what emerald is doing:
a) attacking a healthy sponge
or
b) picking at a dying sponge
or
c) getting alge that's trying to take root on a sponge
each is possible....
also dpending on your tank, water params etc...
the tube corals may be in "shock" and may re-grow given time.
try to have plenty of water ready and keep chnaging it.
flush out any traces of amonia, nit etc...
I on my first time with the TBS rock I had a lot of CUp and tube die do to my own lack of skills but even with that a lot of them came back fast as soon as the tank stabilized.
HTH
also make sure the what emerald is doing:
a) attacking a healthy sponge
or
b) picking at a dying sponge
or
c) getting alge that's trying to take root on a sponge
each is possible....
also dpending on your tank, water params etc...
the tube corals may be in "shock" and may re-grow given time.
try to have plenty of water ready and keep chnaging it.
flush out any traces of amonia, nit etc...
I on my first time with the TBS rock I had a lot of CUp and tube die do to my own lack of skills but even with that a lot of them came back fast as soon as the tank stabilized.
HTH
How long have you had the tube corals? All of mine are alive after a year. Some started to lighten after I upgrade my lighting so I rearranged the rocks to give them shade and they returned to their darker color. They never seem to extend their polyps anymore, which they used to do all the time. But they haven't bleached so I must assume they aren't dead. They definitely seem to like lower light though.
flameangel88
New member
First batch came in late March and the rest in mid-April and they are stacked at various levels in the tank. The ones that doesn't have any bleaching have full extension. I wonder if it's the emerald crabs that are picking on them to cause all this and I don't have them next to any other coral.
I've zero ammonia and nitrite but nitrate has been holding at 40 and I perform 2 wcs each week and 10% each time. I'd missing lawnmower and green mandarin but the lawnmower body turned up after missing for 3 wks but mandarin is missing 3 wks now but no body yet--this may be the cause of the high nitrate. I got the mantis out 2 nights ago and hope not to see anymore empty snail shells.
It's good to know they are still okay after a year.
I've zero ammonia and nitrite but nitrate has been holding at 40 and I perform 2 wcs each week and 10% each time. I'd missing lawnmower and green mandarin but the lawnmower body turned up after missing for 3 wks but mandarin is missing 3 wks now but no body yet--this may be the cause of the high nitrate. I got the mantis out 2 nights ago and hope not to see anymore empty snail shells.
It's good to know they are still okay after a year.
Safir
New member
mine anre only a month or two old, but almost all survived - some turned white btu still extend, but ther eis no rhyme ro reason to which ones turned - some are in good light, some poor, and there are colored tube corals in better and worse light than the bleached ones... They seem happy otherwise, and no mroe are turning, so i'm not too worried about it.
flameangel88
New member
tspfish, thanks for the info. So far, the most damage have been done by the 3 emerald crabs poking at everything and yanking out sponge and tiny feather duster.
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