How do I get rid of all the gorilla crabs???

W

watchdr

Premium Member
Got the 50lb. package and after 3 weeks with the first half I had removed about 36 gorilla crabs and one mantis shrimp.

Second shipment came and I have removed 4 more mantis and probably have at least one more to go. But the thing that really gets me is the high number of gorilla crabs. I have now removed another 28 and just found 4 more.

Because I have a 2 foot cube I can't just move a rock or two out of the way. I actually have to take them out of the tank to get to these crabs to remove them. I am tired of taking rocks out removing the crabs and then putting the rocks back in EVERYDAY!

Does anyone have a solution to get rid of them all?????

This is the most rediculous thing I have ever dealt with in all my years of keeping fish.

I am ready to take this low quality rock and put it in the dumpster and get the 'dead' stuff at the local fish store. After all at this rate of taking the rocks out everyday will make my rock just as dead.

Has anyone found a solution to this?

Thanks in advance to anyone that has ideas.
 
That would do it but it would also pretty much kill everything else on the rock. If I hadn't spent so much on this rock from TBS I would start over with rock from someone else. I think I will keep trying to get ideas and maybe use a freshwater bath as a last resort.

Thanks again.

Anyone else?
 
Sixty-four gorilla crabs in a 50lb package? Holy cow.

I removed probably 15 (over the course of a year) from my 100 gallon package. The only reliable way that I found was to wait until you spotted them on a rock, then pull that rock out and shoot some carbonated water in his hole. Sounds like that's pretty much what you're already doing.

They're pretty skittish. If you've really caught 64 of them, that's some kind of record. People ought to be asking YOU for advice.
 
HowardW,

I'll try. Next time I catch one I'll get a picture and post it.


Fountainhead,

So far when the rock came in I pulled as many as I could off. The biggest one so far was the size of a half dollar! most are smaller than a dime.

I am going to set up a tank to try the high salinity. If that doesn't work then I'll try increasing the DKH. Again if that doesn't work I might try putting some medications in and that should kill them off.

I have been using the tweezers, carbonated water, chopsticks and anyother ways I can think of to get rid of them. Last night I found a 'colony' of baby mantis shrimp! There are as far as I can tell about ten of them and they are about 1/4" long.

This probably is a record for gorillas and mantis on such a small amount of rock.

I don't want to spend hundred of dollars on the corals and fish to have them killed by these bad guys. So I really want to get all or almost all of them out. Already I have been doing this for over a month.

It is getting frustrating and tiring.

I did get some cool hitchhikers as well. I have counted about 6 decorator crabs, 3 porcelain crabs, 6 pistol shrimps, a gobie and some tube worms.

It's not all bad but certainly not what I expected.

Thanks for your input and help.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8035940#post8035940 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by watchdr
So far when the rock came in I pulled as many as I could off. The biggest one so far was the size of a half dollar! most are smaller than a dime.
Click to expand...
I had a couple that were very large as well, and they proved to be the most difficult to catch. What I found was that when they were small they were more likely to be climbing around on accessible rocks, and when they got big they'd stay underneath the rocks, no longer venturing up high. The moral here is to do your best to get them while they're still small, because once they start staying at the bottom you have limited options to capture them.

I feel your pain (though apparently my pain wasn't quite as extensive as yours) and for awhile I questioned whether TBS rock was worth all the initial trouble. But once you get the bad crabs and shrimp out, they're out. My TBS has been in the tank for 2.5 years now, and it's been darn near two years since I saw my last gorilla or mantis. You can do it.
 
<<< My TBS has been in the tank for 2.5 years now, and it's been darn near two years since I saw my last gorilla or mantis. You can do it. >>>


How 'bout some new tank pics Fountainhead?
 
I caught most of mine with my fancy shot glass trap. Just lean it up against the rock with a little food in the bottom. I guess you might need to use a different container if the crabs were bigger. Leave it in there for a while and then just seperate the bad crabs from all of the hermits that will end up inside. Let the crabs do the work for you!

Those numbers of crabs are outrageous. I wonder if the population is out of whack from the red tide disaster last year. If you get a chance to catch any pistols, I'd do it. They can become a pain in the butt as they grow due to all of the digging.

Mantis and Pistols should be good for some LFS credit, though!
 
Got my 80 gal tank out of the garage last night and have it filling with water now. When I get home it should be ready for the high salinity baths.

Even though no one else has posted with the same knid of problems I have had I was wondering if the hurricanes last year caused this.

I know the company I used to purchase rock from was located in Florida also and their rock was much nicer but it was farmed in the path of Katrina and got destroyed. That company had to close and as of a week ago they are still not back in business.

I know richard told me some of his areas were completely coverd with sand and it will eventually come back but it will take a long time.

With all that bottom being stirred up I think there could be a proliferation of these kind of critters for awhile.

If I have to go the way of medicines to get rid of them would copper leach into the rock? I have never in my 34 years used copper medications in my tanks so I don't really know if it will be a problem by leaching into the rock and then coming back out.

Anyone with thoughts?
 
Jocko,

Maybe your shot glass idea will work. not sure if I have one that can be used. I'll pick one up on the way home.

Do the lights need to be out for this to work?

Also when taking the shot glass back out don't the crabs run for cover?
 
Sorry to say it but copper should not be used if you have any intention of ever using the LR in a tank with inverts, ever...
 
ybenormal,

Thanks, that is what I thought and so I will if needed use other medications.

Got the water up to the recommended salinity this morning so when I get home I will try a bath with the first rock and see what happens.

This is a chore but I am hoping it will rid me of these pests once and for all.
 
Hey. Well the glass size would depend upon the crab size. It works well for smaller crabs. Its typically leaning against the rock at like a 45% angle or less, so once they fall in they can't get back out. If your crabs are bigger you might need to find a slightly bigger glass.

The lights do not have to be out, but that probably doesn't hurt. I find the key is to not be watching. Kind of like the watched pot not boiling I guess. It certainly wouldn't hurt to do it overnight. I would imagine the crabs are more active then. But they usually come out in the light once they smell the food.
 
Jocko,

Thanks. After the lights went out last night I used a flashlight and saw some amazing things all over. One crab was so fast I couldn't tell it was a crab until it stopped moving!

He might not be one I can get rid of with the shot glass.

I'll try the glass on Monday then see about the salinity bath. I ran out of time last night and am leaving to go camping today.

Let you all know what happens.

Thanks again for your help.
 
The shot glass never ever worked for me--I've tried it plenty of times--all I ever catch are hermits. I got my big whopping three gorillas out with one of those claw/release gadgets from Sears. That was seven months ago--have never seen another gorilla. My tank is stuffed with coral.
 
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