Is an emerald crab suited for a beginner? I will soon start my first marine tank and would love to add a emerald crab after it is a bit more established. How hard are they to keep? What's the best thing to feed them? Are they a threat to other crabs? Can you keep more then one? How long should you wait before adding to a 36 gallon FOWLR with some inverts? And please post any experiences you've had, good or bad, with this crab, thanks!
I've only had my Emerald Crab for about a week, so not a lot of experience. He has knocked a few things over, so would suggest securing things down. From what I've read, they are general detritivores, but show a preference toward algae (including bubble algae) No special feeding is required.
Hope others with more experience can answer your questions more thourougly.
My tubastrea started to look really bad for awhile. It turns out our time consuming spot feeding was being taken care of by the emerald. He had ran out of algae to eat. So, if you don't have algae make sure a little food goes he way during feeding time or he will starve. We now hand him a sheet or nori when we feed the tubastrea and he is always sitting there waiting.
Emeralds will farm bubble algae. Don't get rid of all your bubble algae(if you have any to begin with) and it will grow its own food along with whatever it will eat that you feed to the tank. Its actually pretty neat to watch them grow their own food.
__________________ Clarence 55g sumpless mixed reef(soon to be 120g)
DSB(2 to 6 inches)aprox. 80 lbs,LR aprox. 60 t0 80 lbs.,Coralife 220 Protein Skimmer,CPR HOB Refugium with Fiji Mud Member of TRS Member of SDMAS
RIP Sarracino Ciro 12/16/04 - 4/3/08