to catch a crab...

[czieler]

Anyone have any tips for catching crabs? I've recently spotted two different crabs in my tank at nite when I was looking with a flash light. Haven't added any new live rock for 8 months now..so they've been there a while.

One looks just like this:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1031407

The other is dark red with a white stripe on his head from front to back between his eyes. Anyone know what this might be?

Neither will stay out for more than a second or two when I shine a light in the tank at nite... so I'm unsure of how to catch either...

Any suggestions?

 

[Ty1e]

o i had this problem to, i had a hitchhiker come with some LR, it was a big black crab, it took me a month to catch him.
every night i would check to see where he was and i would leave some loose small LR at the top of the tank and waited tell he went under one of them and then i just pulled out ther whole LR with him on it. mostly chance that i happen to catch him when he was on that rock, but to speed up the kidnapping wedge some food under the rock that you want him on. hope that helps.

 

[Reefit]

That's what I've had to do. Take the piece of LR out with them on it. I like the idea of bating rock, could be time consuming though. It is in your best interest to get it out though IMO.

 

[mamagoose45]

As far as being able to catch a better look at them - are you using a regular ol' flashlight to look at the tank? Find a red light (most of the miner's headlamps that you can buy for camping have a "night vision" setting) You seem to be able to sneak a peek at much more in the tank at night when you look with red...

Another option for catching the crabs, although it takes time to get good at it, is a skewer. The guys at our LFS are pretty amazing with a spear. The main issue with this method is getting into the tank without spooking the crab. Then you have to manage to shish-kabob the crab without knocking all your rock work down. Hey, drastic times call for drastic measures...

 

[Reefit]

When I have caught them before, I would put them in a small container of tank water and put them in the freezer. I have heard this is painless for them, they don't actually feel the cold.