Emerald Crab

**mab538** · 10-05-2008, 08:15 PM

I've done my research on Emerald Crabs, read they are MOSTLY reef safe, granted they are still opportunistic omnivores, and went ahead and bought one. Drip acclimated him and added him to my tank after his obligatory 4 week quarantine. He did great in my reef tank for about an hour or 2 then decided THE spot to be was clinging to my Sinularia finger coral. This aggrivated the coral and all the polyps withdrew. The crab was banished to the sump for now.

I was wondering if anyone heard of something like this happening or if he may decide to leave it alone and I should put him back in the main part of the tank. Thoughts, suggestions? Thanks a bunch

**boyesreef** · 10-05-2008, 09:01 PM

he will be fine, if you have any food in the tank thats easier to get, that will be the target. i have an emerald in my fifty with some finger leather. he dosnt bother it at all. in fact i want to get a few more crabs.

**dillan** · 10-05-2008, 10:00 PM

i tried an emerald crab in my tank to get rid of some bubble algae i have and instead he decided he would rather eat my pulsing xenia and my gsp . so i caught him and moved him to my other tank where he decided he enjoyed ripping zoanthid polyps from their rocks all over the tank. so after catching him once again he now lives in a fish only tank and for all the aggravation he caused i hope he's thankful i put him there and din't feed him to my cat.
so even though alot of them will do fine and not bother a thing you can trust me and believe some are just trouble and must be banished.

**mab538** · 10-05-2008, 10:51 PM

Ok...I'll try him one last time...just to make sure he won't just "get over it" and move on to the food that i offer...if he's just "evil" it'll be banishment to the sump or the first permanent resident of my quarantine tank...

How long would the finger leather be alright to be closed up if he resumes his previous antics? A week? Or is that far too long? I didn't see him eating or picking at the coral...just sitting in it...

**CarmieJo** · 10-05-2008, 11:43 PM

I think my finger leather has closed up for a week just because it wanted to.

**mab538** · 10-05-2008, 11:48 PM

Ok! Hope he's learned his lesson haha

**boyesreef** · 10-05-2008, 11:50 PM

i have never had a ploblem with my emerald, i also have green star polyps, and he dosnt seem to care that they are there. i know it has seen them, he has walkid through them. the only issue i have is that he likes to do some late night landscaping and move all of my small rubble to the back right corner of the tank.