Sally Lightfoot Crabs

[RonD]

Is anyone else having problems with there sally's eating things that they shoudln't be... IE Xenia and other softies?

 

[ERICinFL]

As far as I know, mine doesn't mess with anything. I usually drop some pellet food into the tank after lights out so the inverts stay happy. My SLF usually grabs one to munch on.

 

[goodblasson]

Yep. Mine got destructive. I just luckly caught him while he was sleeping. He is now a member of the local Sump.

 

[AquaReeferMan]

Well SLF can become a problem, as well as any other crab, when it is not getting enough food. Ive been reading a lot horror stories latelty about them. Thats why I dont trust any crab except hermits. Also beside nipping coral they can eat any slower/smaller fish or invert. I would watch over it and make sure it isnt eating anything else. If it does ban him to the sump if you have one.

 

[wds21921]

I've removed even my hermits. For the little bit of detrius/algae they remove, to me they're just not worth it.

Snails do a much better job (algae) and the hermits have a tendency to simply kill the snails just to take the shells.

The detrius is a simply matter of turning it over during water changes.

Crabs are predatory, even when it comes to housing lol.

 

[sloshesv]

Just say no.

 

[pufferpoison]

if crabs had plenty of shells they would not kill a snail if your tank had plenty. Walmart sells a huge bag of different size shells for around $3.00 in their crafts department. I have a shell graveyard in all my tanks that have hermits, they never bother a snail.