Mistaken intent

[e048]

So I got home last night pretty late and decided to peek into my newer tank. I had added an emerald crab to it to help keep some hair algae down. So when I started poking the flashlight beam around I saw him sitting on my frogspawn's head so I grabbed him and threw him in the sump. Now I think he was just chilling because the head on that frogspawn is looking better then it was yesterday morning.

Was the crab chilling or did I get him fast enough to where he didn't do any damage?

 

[joshbrookkate]

I have had 2 for a year and they have only helped to clean detritus from rock. Love them!

 

[e048]

I have a huge one in my other tank and he's awesome he comes out once in a blue moon and he shares a rock with my coral banded and I've never had a problem

This guy though was like completely on the frogspawn head like wrapped around it I freaked out and pulled him off but I'm not sure if he was just chilling on it or if I grabbed him fast enough for him not to do damage

 

[donut0079]

They can definitely do some damage. I found mine pulling the tentacles off a Duncan and banned him immediately. It is really an individual thing with crabs so I would be cautious.

 

[e048]

I think I may have had a bad egg

The one in my other tank is pretty harmless

 

[Calappidae]

Crabs are oppertunious, when they hungry they'll eat whatever is in front of them. Emeralds are more fond of algae but they can be nasty buggers in newer and very clean aquariums with little to scavenge. It's less of an individual by individual thing and more of a tank by tank thing.

 

[Code4]

Mine liked to hide in my Duncan. I would put seaweed in front of the Duncan and the crab would come out and snag it. Pretty cool to watch actually.

Shelley

 

[e048]

I have another emerald in the same tank and he stays to the rocks and to the algae pellets this other guy decided he'd use my frogspawn as a bed or dinner whichever I figured I'd rather lose a $5 crab than a $15 head of frogspawn

 

[liamdoran]

Mistaken intent

Depends, I have two, one does nothing but the other ate one of my fish that died and tried dragging my anemone into its crevice but I chased it off. Although I've had other emerald crabs and they were more green and peaceful so mine could possibly something mislabeled at the store.

 

[e048]

I returned him to the store and no more closed up frogspawn's