reef safe crab

[fishforu]

i have a 30 gallon cube with a helfrichi firefish, 3 sexy shrimp, 1 cleaner shrimp, 2 turbo snails, 1 astrea snail, and 4 nassarius snails. i will add a yashia goby with a pistol shrimp soon and then 1 or 2 additional fish later.

the tank also has a star polyp coral, 1 acro colony and 3 frags.
will will add more sps and clam(s) in the future.

what crabs are safe for this tank that will not damage/eat the current and future inhabitants of the tank? will add only 1 or 2.

i want a livestock diverse tank.

thanks.

 

[Bebo77]

emerald

 

[Corriander]

I agree - an emerald mithrax is the way to go.

I have also kept red-legged and blue-legged hermits with out a problem with most of those critters. The only ones I have not are the sexy shrimp . . . which may be a target for the crabs.

 

[ever818]

I have 5 emeralds n they only eat algae from the rocks

 

[JeffersonReef]

I was going to say emerald... but everyone else already took my answer! Mine are great... fun to watch eat too. They will try to "catch" food floating around when you feed... at least I think its cool....

I have 4 in my 125g.... never caused any problems, and are very docile toward tank-mates.

-TJ

 

[psidriven]

How about sally light foots? Thought those were reef safe too or did I miss something.

 

[laverda]

Pretty much any of the smaller hermit crabs. Even larger ones are not going to bother stuff if the are getting enough to eat. But the can knock stuff over.

 

[firerock]

This is what I have found on Liveaquaria in regards to emerald crabs:

"They are an opportunistic feeder, and if food is not available to them, they may turn to supplementing their diet with corals or invertebrates."

Has anyone have any problems with it eating corals or inverts?

 

[bromion]

Most crabs have the potential to pick at corals, but it is very unlikely they will unless the corals are in very poor health to begin with, or the crab is really hungry. Emeralds, especially small ones, are pretty much harmless from mine and others' accounts.

And I agree, they are really fun to watch!

 

[firerock]

Thanks for the info. I can't wait to get one soon.

 

[GinaSofia]

The only hermits I would trust in my tank are Scarletts.I also have a few emeralds that have not caused any problems.

 

[tmplge]

WEll thanks guys! I think I might try emeralds again. Any LFS in teh San fernando valley selling them?

 

[firerock]

GinaSofia, thanks you for the info.

 

[EMBRYOGUY]

100% agree with gina.

only scarlets for me. my emeralds over time decided to eat my zoos. blue hermits ate my snails.

 

[bpatrol]

crabs.. pretty any crab if it doesnt have enough to eat or gets mature will eat just about anything.including fish or corals and other inverts...also they are good at knocking off corals..so personally i dont use any of them in my tanks. hermit crabs are murdering bastards they kill each other and then your snails..
mexican turbos and some nassirus snails are the ticket for me..bpatrol

 

[laverda]

If you were starving to death, you would eat anything you could!

 

[Hedoman1958]

Emeralds are great when they are Small...BUT
When they get Big...They need more to eat & WILL eat your corals...they start with Zoa's
I've watched them...then speared them