Porcelin crab

[adamsaranluke]

I got a porcelin crab a couple monthsa ago at pet club because the idiot who works in the fish dept knew less about the damn thing than I did so I didn't know that they are also refered to as anemone crabs. Needless to say he was hanging onto my nem the next morning and has since persisted, despite my best effort to scare him away from the nem, to starve his host who is now a fraction of his former size. At least I think thats what's happening. Does anyone else have experience with these little buggers? Should I try to remove him or is the nem as good as gone regardless? I bought him cause of how he feeds, very interesting!

 

[seafansar]

Don't try to starve the anemone. The crab won't leave it. I got mine out by scaring it out of the anemone onto the rocks. I waited until it crawled into a place where I could grab it. I don't think the crab is the one making your anemone shrink though. Worse they do is nibble on the tentacles. That's why I removed mine. How often do you feed the anemone and what kind of lighting is it under?

 

[adamsaranluke]

I think the crab is starving the nem, I'm not. I try to scare the crab awaybefore I feed him but the nem doesn't seem to be stick any more at all so the shrimp or whatever I'm feeding it just floats away. I havent had any trouble with nibbeling, I just think that the crab feeds much the same way the nem does thus my nem is suffering because the crab gets anything the nem would be filtering.

 

[davocean]

That crab on your nem should be fine, I love mine, they have a symbiotic relationship similar to clown/nem.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

is your crab purple or white?

the purple ones dont host in nems...so if it is purple he may be irritating the nem...never seen it though i am sure the nem would eat it if it was bothering him..

if it is a white one then as mentioned the relationship should be symbiotic and cause no harm...

 

[davocean]

HMM, mine is white and purple...

 

[davocean]

Mine has been great, and to my amazement my maroon accepted it NP.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

the pic above is a symbiotic one...the others are purple and yellow..

 

[adamsaranluke]

my crab and nem do not have a symbiotic relationship. Not in the least. As soon as the crab latched on the nem shriveled up and has since been floating around the tank. Every time he finds a new place to open up, the crab finds him and it happens again. I'm getting rid of the crab, I dont care if I have to smash him between two rocks.