# Emerald Crabs



## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I am considering One. Wanting a very small one actually. I would like some concise information on emerald crabs. I understand they enjoy bubble algae. I understand they can, nip at corals (maybe not such a bad thing in regardst o my paly population. ) 

Personal experiances are of interest. Good or Bad. I can weight my decision after I get some input.


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## explor3r (Mar 14, 2010)

Hi had two of them which at the beginning cleaned all my rocks from some bubble algae i had and other algaes.
After a while my zoas start dissapering and guess what...emeral crab was the cause, i caught him eating my zoas during the day so i just give him away to someone letting him know he eats zoas... 
Im not saying that all of them do but for my experience they do..dont trust anything with claws..lol only crab i trust is porcelan crab but i dont thing they eat algae.
As well i suspect he attacked my mandaring while he was slepping in the sand but i cant prove that..anyways here is a pic of the emeral eating my zoas of that i have prove
I guess u can get it and once is done cleaning your rocks u can put him somewhere else or give it to someone who wants it


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Oh yeah... that's definately incriminating Photo.... I realise anything with claws is not trustworthy. my lefthanded hermit's munching coraline much to my dismay, but it's a nice crabby. I have plenty of bubble it could eat and my couple zoas are in the other tank.


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Emerald crabs are largely herbivorous, your tanks have lots of macro algaes that _should _keep him busy without looking to the corals. the minute they dont have food they want to eat, is the minute they will go after something that you dont want them to eat. I have one in my ten gallon I've intended to move to the pico, but i cant find him, so I'll probably pickup the next smallest one I find. Big als hamilton is usually a good spot to find inverts like these.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I was at big als oakville and their selection was rather meh.


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

A big portion of people have emerald crabs that only eat what they are supposed to... and another "big" portion have the type that eat corals

Its really a roll of the dice... Same with fish, each have quirks and personalities that are different.

My first clown goby ate pods and food.. my second one (in tank now) eats my acans.... sigh


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## Will (Jul 24, 2008)

Sunstar said:


> I was at big als oakville and their selection was rather meh.


Hamilton has an invert station which allows them to sell small inverts a bit better. also allows you to see and watch them easier before buying.



Kweli said:


> A big portion of people have emerald crabs that only eat what they are supposed to... and another "big" portion have the type that eat corals


Emerald Crabs are a Mythrax sp. of crab, which is quite large group, and so some people thinking they have emerald crabs may have a very similar Mythrax sp. though the clean green carapace is tell tale, many look identical otherwise.


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

I was at SUM yesterday and they had about 80+ of them (small size, like a loonie-toonie) for 13.99


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

yeah loonie toonie size or smaller is what i want. Now to get to some place like that... argh. Likely could get two one for teh nem nano and one for the nem portal.

but at that price only one'd come home.... I need to find at least 3 sexies at a good price sometime soon too. 14.99 each is a bit rich for my pocket. especially now :/


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

To be honest, unless you have a bubble algae problem, I probably wouldn't introduce an emerald crab unless it is in a tank that it can be easily removed from.

Many end up being harmless, but I've seen, and heard, too many horror stories about their destructive nature. Sometimes they are great at first, much like sally light foot's, but go a bit mental as time goes on =)


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I do have bubble algae in that tank and I classify it easily as a problem. And when I move to the 25gallon, I likely will move the critter to the sump. The idea of it going mental amuses me (for the time being)


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

Will Hayward said:


> Hamilton has an invert station which allows them to sell small inverts a bit better. also allows you to see and watch them easier before buying.


Yeah, I thougth oakville had this too, or have I become used to hamilton?



Will Hayward said:


> Emerald Crabs are a Mythrax sp. of crab, which is quite large group, and so some people thinking they have emerald crabs may have a very similar Mythrax sp. though the clean green carapace is tell tale, many look identical otherwise.


Any chance you could come along with me sometime? Help me ident the crab if you are familiar with them?


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

I wanted an emerald crab, but I dont want to risk my zoas. I do have a lot of hair algae at the moment.. NTS for sure.

I'm on the fence about hermits too. I don't want them picking up frags and carrying stuff around. If you have the patience and the forgiveness, I'd say go for and emerald because you'll have room for him down the road during your upgrades


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I have lots of food for the emerald. my zoas are in the nano, anything else he eats in my main tank he's welcome to if it wants to prune my corals  I have button polyps out the wazoo.


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