Ric murderer

[BANDIT ANGEL]

The sudden mysterious perishing of five or more rics causes me thinking of quit reefing. However when I'm doing routing cleaning this morning I discovered a HUGE crab about two inches lurking,eating a blue thing(remain of a disappeared ric yesterday). Can anyone teach me how to remove the damn crustacean out of the tank without causing damage to the already glued up rockwork. Thanks.

 

[dlterry85]

put a tall drinking glass in there, slightly tilted against the rock with some bait at the bottom. when he goes in, he won't be able to climb back out. hth.

 

[Jocephus]

Stick him with a chopstick!

 

[EuroDriver]

What I have done in the past is to skewer a piece of shrimp on a kabob stick and put it close to the crab. It will usually latch on the the meat zealously. Slowly lift him and put a net underneath. Voila! Hermit crab kabob is optional.

 

[blennielove]

Take a small plastic bottle, cut it in half, insert the "top" part backwards into the "bottom" half to make a trap. Finding one smallish will be key. Place piece of crabby food in there. You might catch other things, but you won't have to tear up the rockwork.

 

[BANDIT ANGEL]

put a tall drinking glass in there, slightly tilted against the rock with some bait at the bottom. when he goes in, he won't be able to climb back out. hth.

I tried your technique but the crab won't come out of the crevice.

Stick him with a chopstick!

I tried stabbing him with metal chopsticks but it ran away just as the chopstick reached it's door.

What I have done in the past is to skewer a piece of shrimp on a kabob stick and put it close to the crab. It will usually latch on the the meat zealously. Slowly lift him and put a net underneath. Voila! Hermit crab kabob is optional.

It sounds like a tasty way of pest control,I'll try it today.Thanks.

Take a small plastic bottle, cut it in half, insert the "top" part backwards into the "bottom" half to make a trap. Finding one smallish will be key. Place piece of crabby food in there. You might catch other things, but you won't have to tear up the rockwork.

I used this way when I'm catching cleaner shrimps in my tank but it don't work well to crabs in my tank.

 

[JuliusJames]

I had a teddy bear crab (at least I thought it was) ate $80 worth of blastos. I put the blasto colony on a rock the size of a softball. Once it climb onto the rock and reached the top, I quickly removed the rock.

 

[BANDIT ANGEL]

I had a teddy bear crab (at least I thought it was) ate $80 worth of blastos. I put the blasto colony on a rock the size of a softball. Once it climb onto the rock and reached the top, I quickly removed the rock.

the rock of the rics are glued, but thanks to your advise anyway

 

[sunilp]

do all crabs eat rics or certain ones?

 

[cet98]

sounds like a Gorilla Crab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uugIZWEb9uc

 

[FLKeysGirl]

I hate to say it, but it does sound like a Gorilla Crab - Also I found out the hard way today that Red Mithrax Crabs once the head hits a little over an inch are also softie eaters - he was eating my green toadstool's crown! If it is a gorilla crab, from expirience I can tell you unless my some miracle you manage to skewer him when he's outside of the rick (usually only at night) you are going to have to get the rock he's in out of the tank or lift the rock he's under and scoop him out. I understand your rock is glued but you may not have a choice :/ The little boogers are smart Also if you do get the rock he's in, be 100% sure he's in there, and pour seltzer water into the hole - he'll shoot out - they can handle fresh and high salt, so that wont get them out. Again from expirience Good luck!

 

[SushiGirl]

Also I found out the hard way today that Red Mithrax Crabs once the head hits a little over an inch are also softie eaters - he was eating my green toadstool's crown!

If you don't feed them, they'll eat what they can. We have a rather larger red mithrax and he hasn't touched any coral in our softy tank.

 

[FLKeysGirl]

If you don't feed them, they'll eat what they can. We have a rather larger red mithrax and he hasn't touched any coral in our softy tank.

Ive got three of them, and they are target fed every other day, I think he just got greedy lol

 

[BANDIT ANGEL]

Thanks for all your kind helps, I stabbed it right on the it's shell. I can feel the shell breaking apart, but sadly it's only a injured badly and go to another location(under my yumas!!).

 

[buck326]

sounds like a tough crab