Tank Journal Archive

[MichelleShocked]

I hadn't seen the little crab for a week so thought he had died but yesterday when I was doing a water change, I discovered him lurking about the LR.

I still havn't ID'd him but his black tip claws tell me he's a member of the Xanthid family. This didn't alleviate my concern that he may eat my corals but eased it slightly since I know that crabs with black tipped claws are *usually* poisonous to eat & this is because they eat Algae.
But they can be omnivorous so hes not in the clear yet.
HOWEVER!
I was watching him lurk & trying to ID what he was munching on when I finally saw what he was eating
- a stem of Bryopsis!!!
So, @Dr. Schell - what is he & is he good, bad or awesome???

 

[firebird]

I have one with blacktipped claws as well that has lived for a couple of years in what is now the nem tank. He has never eaten my corals-occasionally pushes my frags around-hasn't got very big is only about 3-4cm all up
Only thing is I can't keep peppies in that tank as they disappear very soon after intro and I think he has to be the culprit

 

[MichelleShocked]

As I had begun to suspect - yep, there's TWO. I had wondered how it could get from 1 part of the LR to another part so quickly & how come it sometimes ignored my presence & other times freaked & vanished at the slightest movement.
They are almost exactly the same size though the bold 1 is slightly bigger than the timid 1.
The timid 1 was eating muck off the back of the tank wall & the bold 1 is always munching on the LR. The tiny GSP appear to be reasonably unmolested so the crabs can stay.

 

[MichelleShocked]

They dont seem to have black tipped claws any more either o_O They ARE very hairy & spiny though which will likely help ID them

 

[MichelleShocked]

Apparently, so google tells me, the general rule is: blunt claws = eats algae; sharp claws = eats meat & hairy legs + black tip claws = not reef safe.
Hmmm.
Not sure what to do about them now.....