# Emerald Crabs



## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

How useful are these crabs for the tank?


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

great if you have alot of hair algae and very good if you have bubble algae but they can also become a major problem if they get a taste for your corals, ive read on rc guys having them get a taste for sps and almost take out entire colonys over night, mine got a sweet tooth uh err claw for my ringer leather so the crab had to go


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

Emerald Crabs as ND stated are great if they munch on algae, which if you have a good amount of algae present in the tank. I think they mainly turn to eating corals if there is insuffient algae present.

Personally, I have never had an issue with my Emerald Crab eating corals.

Do note, that not all emerald crabs will eat bubble algae. Some will, and some won't. So, it is really a hit or miss with them.


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## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

Thanks for the responses.

I picked up some of the emerald crabs at frag and swap show in manhattan yesterday but didnt know much about them. They seems to be eating the purple coraline in my tank or i think thats what there eating. heheheh.


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

Chapz said:


> Thanks for the responses.
> 
> I picked up some of the emerald crabs at frag and swap show in manhattan yesterday but didnt know much about them. They seems to be eating the purple coraline in my tank or i think thats what there eating. heheheh.


they usually go around scrapping every surface of rock to get algae, this is actually very good for coraline growth though, scrapping it causes particles to float int eh water and where they land they spread..


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## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

I noticed the emerald crabs this morning eating cheato.
I thought nothing ate cheato.

Any suggestions?


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## redbellyjx © (Jan 26, 2004)

i say banish him to the sump. i have an emerald that was a model citizen. Yesterday i found that something was nipping on one of my acros. i suspect the emerald. Moral of the story... dont take chances with them.


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## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

redbellyjx © said:


> i say banish him to the sump. i have an emerald that was a model citizen. Yesterday i found that something was nipping on one of my acros. i suspect the emerald. Moral of the story... dont take chances with them.


My emerald crabs are kool.
Just fed them some seaweed flakes and they munched on it like an entree. It was awesome.
I might get more weird inverts to keep them company


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Love to see some pictures of them as well as your tank!


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## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

notaverage said:


> Love to see some pictures of them as well as your tank!


Here's a pic of my emerald crab clinging onto a rock for dear life. I have 3 of them but the other 2 are in the tank somewhere. Here is a pic with the new snowflake eel "i just got today", and the emerald crab below. Look very carefully since the EC is in the pic. I also got 2 blue damsels but they hide a lot. Hard to get them in the pics.


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

snowlfake eels are awesome i used to have one but sold it when i took down my FOWLR


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## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

Nismo,
That was awesome.
I just fed my eel silverside and he went nuts in the water. 
What did u use to feed the eel?
Also, what did the damsels eat that u have in the tank?


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Looks like a neat little critter!


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

Chapz said:


> Nismo,
> That was awesome.
> I just fed my eel silverside and he went nuts in the water.
> What did u use to feed the eel?
> Also, what did the damsels eat that u have in the tank?


i fed squid and shrimp mostly some times piece of what ever fish i had cought recently, fluke, striper. the dmasel ate marine pellets flakes and bits of the sqiud and shrimp.


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## Chapz (Jul 9, 2007)

i fed squid and shrimp mostly some times piece of what ever fish i had cought recently, fluke, striper. the dmasel ate marine pellets flakes and bits of the sqiud and shrimp.
[/quote]

I try to feed the damsels the algea flakes but there skittish and hide behind the live rocks. 
I also want to feed the Snowflake eel something else since the Silverside smell funky.
I'll use krill for now.
Thanks.


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