Porcelain Crab

[malx]

Anyone have experience keeping these critters? I want one in both my future Nano and my main Display Tank.

Here's my dilemma.

In my nano I've decided to do just a carpet anemone, a snail or two, and one black clown. I think that would be cool. A porcelain crab would go well.

My DT tank is strictly an SPS tank. I hear Porcelain Crabs generally need Anemones or Zoas or they get stressed out because they don't have an official "home."

Anyone have experience with these critters? If so, what do you think your key to success is?

Thanks,
Joey


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[heathlindner25]

I've always kept them with rock flower anemones

 

[Ron Reefman]

Here in SW Florida we find these crabs a lot. I collected my limit (state law) one day on the beach after a storm. They were all tucked away inside small orange sponges washed up on the beach at the water's edge. So I took them home and inspected every one to make sure I didn't have any stone crab or blue crab youngsters. The I dumped all 20 of them into my 180g tank. In less than 15 seconds they all landed and scurried into the coral and rocks... almost never to be seen again. Only when I moved a coral or rock would I find one tucked away underneath.

IMHO, I would never pay for one of these little guys, even as cute as they are, because the chances you'll ever get to see it again are somewhere between slim and none.

 

[heathlindner25]

I see mine everyday.

 

[LukeGI]

My crab is visible nearly every day, and one of the most commented on inhabitants of my tank.
I cannot say whether they would do well without anemone's or not as I have several...I can say though, that the crab does move between those nem's randomly, and doesn't always stay in just one.

 

[g_langley]

I have experience of both and they are quite different;

Neopetrolisthes ohshimai = Out all the time and a royal pain with BTA's, it caused my GBTA to go south and I will never have one of these "crabs" again!

check this link;

http://www.karensroseanemones.net/theanemonecrab.htm

Petrolisthes galathinus = I have one and only see it if I'm lucky.

 

[GimpyFin]

They're cool little guys. Had one for quite a while in my old tank. Didn't have an anemone but he setup shop on a fairly large brain coral I had. Usually would just sit right in the middle and wave his filter fans. Sometimes he'd hang upside down from it as well.

 

[g_langley]

They're cool little guys.

I would not recommend the Anemone Porcelain Crab if you have BTA's, from experience. The other type I have no problem with.

 

[EdgeN]

What's that word or phrase, a symbiotic relationship? This is what's needed for them to thrive IME...

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/12/inverts

 

[BlackTip]

I bought two early on, and they quickly disappeared. A buddy of mine bought a coral and two came as hitchhikers. I am interested in them again, especially when I read somewhere that they help keep vermited snails away from the corals.

 

[jayball]

I have a pair in my 90, I see one every once in a while. Fun to watch when you get to see them.

 

[malx]

They're cool little guys. Had one for quite a while in my old tank. Didn't have an anemone but he setup shop on a fairly large brain coral I had. Usually would just sit right in the middle and wave his filter fans. Sometimes he'd hang upside down from it as well.

Sounds like my Pom Pom!

 

[JamesHolt]

Love watching mine, he sits on top of a rock in my 20g long, just waving his hands around..

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I have experience of both and they are quite different;

Neopetrolisthes ohshimai = Out all the time and a royal pain with BTA's, it caused my GBTA to go south and I will never have one of these "crabs" again!

check this link;

http://www.karensroseanemones.net/theanemonecrab.htm

Petrolisthes galathinus = I have one and only see it if I'm lucky.

I would not recommend the Anemone Porcelain Crab if you have BTA's, from experience. The other type I have no problem with.

What exactly is the problem with them and BTA's?

 

[LukeGI]

What exactly is the problem with them and BTA's?

Assuming you read the link that you quoted...let me quote the first line from that link for the thread's sake.
"The Anemone Crab is darn right cute but it will harass your Anemone to no end."

 

[Banff]

I got a ton of porcelain crabs as hitchhikers on my live rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater. They are all purple with the occasional green or blue one. All of them are filter feeders, none are the kind that associate with anemones or other organisms. Mine are always visible all over the tank, usually hanging under arches or overhangs, just filter the water non-stop. I love them.

 

[g_langley]

What exactly is the problem with them and BTA's?

http://www.karensroseanemones.net/theanemonecrab.htm

Check out the link above. I wish I had found this sooner as my Anemone crab drove my GBTA to death, stealing food and annoying the hell out of it by clamping itself to the stalk of the BTA and making it generally very unhappy to the point of demise. My other two RBTA's are just dandy. The crab was originally with one RBTA but when I got the GBTA he went to that and the RBTA he was with originally perked up and is now a beauty. Just my experience and that of Karen who knows her stuff.

 

[g_langley]

fwiw, you can see the little bugger in my avatar, slap bang in the centre of the RBTA and then moved over to the GBTA on the left. Not any more.

 

[g_langley]

What's that word or phrase, a symbiotic relationship? This is what's needed for them to thrive IME...

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/12/inverts

Carpet anemone's not BTA's - that's the problem.

 

[g_langley]

And whilst I'm using this thread to up my post count...

Sexy Shrimps can be bad news as well with tiny (<2 inch) BTA's also. I had one shrimp literally walk off with a tiny BTA never to be seen again.