Help me ID these crab

Cjohnson2

New member
We just got our shipment of live rock from TB saltwater and I am having trouble identifying these 2 crab. Any help? IMG_2597.jpg

IMG_2596.jpg
 
The second one (red crab with stripes) is a porcelain crab. Very good and safe for all reef inhabitants. I don't know what the first one is, but it has huge claws. I wouldn't keep that first one, although it almost looks like a green porcelain crab. I also have TBS rock and had red and green porcelain crabs.
 
One way to tell porcelain crabs from bad crabs is that porcelain crabs have three legs on each side and then claws and then little fan arms in the front. Bad crabs like gorilla crabs (they also come on TBS rock) will four legs on each side and then claws.

TBS rock and hitchhikers are really great overall. Good luck.
 
Both are porcelains, but one is probably the type that associates with anemones while the other is not. I got several of the filter feeding ones (with the little fans) in my TBS tank 6 or 7 years ago and they were very cool peaceful crabs.
Both are keepers!
 
As flyer mentioned above, you probably have a lot of gorilla crabs that came with the Florida rock.
If you see any light colored hairy crabs with black tips on their claws, get them out.
 
Thanks for all the help, we did pull a few gorilla crabs and stone crabs out of our rock. So far so good with the ammonia levels and tank water quality.
 
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