# Crab ID



## EquiReef (Mar 12, 2014)

Bought two hundred pounds of live rock off a guy closing down a mature FOWLR tank and after watching the rock cure in an empty tank I realized there was something living in the rock. Took me four weeks to finally locate the crab again and get him removed.

Rock crab? Has red eyes and is not pretty









Amanda
Www.keystonefarms.co.nr


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

pretty sure that's an emerald crab. If you don't want him I'll take him!!!


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## EquiReef (Mar 12, 2014)

No it's for sure not an emerald. This thing is hideous! It's body is really wide and legs and claws are short and fat. He's more of a black color than a green.

We have a few emeralds, very green and legs are hairy and long. They're super models compared to this monster.

Amanda
Www.keystonefarms.co.nr


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Emeralds come in all shapes and sizes. I have one that is Frey/black with no fuzz


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## EquiReef (Mar 12, 2014)

Really? All of ours have always looked the same. Can they have red eyes? This has the ugliest red eyes I've ever seen.

Amanda
Www.keystonefarms.co.nr


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

xanthid crab perhaps?










If it is, they can be destructive like any other crab but are opportunistic as is the emerald. Good bubble algae eaters!!


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## EquiReef (Mar 12, 2014)

Yep. That's him. I've had three coral frags ripped off the plugs so far so he needs to go. I put him on kijiji for $10. See if anyone is interested. I just googled and it says they will eat corals.

Amanda
Www.keystonefarms.co.nr


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Any crab will eat corals, so will some fish if they are hungry enough.

Even snails will rip coral off frag plugs sometimes. 

I don't see him being a good sale for anyone, most of the time people just throw them in the toilet or sump. 

If you have a sump he would do good in there.
Good luck!


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## EquiReef (Mar 12, 2014)

Oh I never even thought of putting him in a sump. It is way too ugly to be in the display I don't want to see it on a regular basis but there is no way I could flush it. See if anyone wants him if not he can go in the sump.

Amanda
Www.keystonefarms.co.nr


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

In my sump I have:
sally lightfoot crab
emerald crab
10 trocheus snails
20 or so nassarius snails
a blenny
and millions of pods

Most people think of a refugium as a place to put cheato and some rock, but if you really want to help clean your system up put some other livestock in there that will help to eat whatever goes into the overflow. 

I mean, if you had nothing in your refugium then anything that came from your tank would just settle there and produce nitrates and such right?


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## EquiReef (Mar 12, 2014)

Very good point. Thanks for the help!

Amanda
Www.keystonefarms.co.nr


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

EquiReef said:


> Bought two hundred pounds of live rock off a guy closing down a mature FOWLR tank and after watching the rock cure in an empty tank I realized there was something living in the rock.


If you have a chance, and depending on what you are doing w the rock, you might want to check for other hitchhikers. When I bought 150 lbs of live rock for our tank, I didn't check and over the last 16 months have been dealing with mantis shrimp that came in on the rock. I've gotten 3 out already and know there is at least one more. So far, these mantis have killed 4 cleaner shrimp, and all my bottom dwelling fish.

Best way I have found to get crabs or mantis out is to remove the rock from water and let it sit in air for 5 minutes or so. Maybe 10 minutes. Some of these guys don't give up easily.


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