Possible problem with emerald crab?

[jnorine]

Hello all,

I've had a BioCube 8 up and running for about 9 months now, and have tried to start stocking it with some zooanthids and mushrooms. For a few months the zoos were going great - they were spreading and growing, overall just very happy. The most recent addition to the tank was a frag with 3 ricordea mushrooms (which ironically is doing just great), and there was a hitchhiker - an emerald crab. Since then, my zoos have been dissapearing. Could the crab be eating them? I went to two different LFS and was laughed at - but all my parameters for water are normal, and they're not detaching themselves to reattach somewhere else - they're just gone.

Am I crazy, or do I have a crab with an eating problem?

J

 

[drnsee]

Mithrax crabs are generally reef friendly. HOWEVER, it is not uncommon to hear they start munching on corals if they are hungry enough. What other livestock do you have? If they are disappearing quick enough, perhaps you can catch him in the middle of the night with the moonlights on?

 

[jnorine]

The only other livestock in the tank right now is a tomato clownfish - he has been in since the beginning, which is why I didn't really consider him to be a possible culprit. When I feed, I'll find the crab and make sure he gets some of his own free of the clown. The crab seems to be content with this, plus he scuttles around and cleans the rocks on his own.

 

[drnsee]

I highly doubt it's the tomato clown either. If you do find that it's the crab, best to trap and send back to LFS. I personally don't trust any crabs besides blue legged and blue knuckled hermit crabs in my reef.

 

[crabby Mike]

One of two things are going on here...Could be the crab eatting or it could be that the crab has been walking or more like hanging out on top of your Zoos at night...I know this may sound crazy but zoos don't like to touched by your hands or anything else in your tank so this could be causing them to die off. Water sounds fine if Ricordea are doing well...One way or another lose the crab.