Hitchhiker crabs: Let 'em be or kill 'em?
 

I noticed a few hitchhiker crabs in my live rock, no fish in the tank yet. The biggest is maybe an inch across.

Should I remove them now or wait for proof they are causing trouble?

Re: Hitchhiker crabs: Let 'em be or kill 'em?
 

JMO, but I'd remove them and either put them in a sump, give them to someone who wants them in their sump, or take them to the lfs for the triggers to eat. Or you can kill them.

OK I'll try to bait them and trap them in a glass jar or cup.

:rolleyes:

Don't listen to Quinn - he's had to learn to live with crabs. :biggrin:

Personally, I don't like the ones that are more than 2x the size of my Scarlet reef hermits. It's just not right. Plus, they're UGLY...

Is it usually only a matter of time before these " hitchhikers" start to cause trouble with other inhabitants ? Or, is it possible that they will learn to live together or at least give the oters their space .
I have a crab that snuck its way in on some liver rock. I watched him and one of my hermits have an interesting standoff the other night. The hitchhiker has not been the aggressor at all, its the hermit. He keeps going down into this hollow where the hitchhiker tends to dwell , usually heads right at him. The other night the hermit had him pinned up against the back wall and all lthe hitchhiker did was keep one snapping pincher way out in front of himslef while the hermit trys to keep advancing on him. They fianlly seemed to call a truce and each went his own way, it waspretty funny to watch over the course of about 10 - 15 minutes.

If I am to try and remvoe this guy, what is the best way of doing so ? Is there any specific type of bait that will attract him rather than the hermits ?
The just put the bait in galss or a jar as mentioned above and place it as close as possible to the desired target . Any suggestions on what to use for bait ?

captainhemo

I have a crab that's been in my tank for years and hasn't caused any concern at all. IMO, if you can't match it to an already "known bad guy", I leave them until I know they are bad. Once I actually caught a crab that was real ugly and mean looking, but I felt bad and put him back the next day. It never caused me any trouble being in the tank.

Ah Brad, the voice of reason. Suffice to say that like he said said, crabs are not necessarily bad, just that they are often omnivores. They're not out to kill your gobies and zoanthids, but if they get hungry, what else can they do? If you're really uncomfortable with them, then do remove them, but attempt to find them a sump to call home. It just seems cruelly ironic that these creatures so often survive the transit from the South Pacific to North America, only to be fed to a trigger or something like that.

Thank you for not beating me up and no I am not a tree hugger. :mrgreen:

Well he will be staying for now then , I have no problem leaving him in if there is even a slight chance he can co exist with everything else thats gonna end up living in there. My tank is in its very early stages so he difinately adds some character to the scene, at least when he is visibloe anyh9ow :)

captainhemo[/img]

Caught him? Any ID's please?

http://www.rupert.net/~mryeburn/crabpic1.jpg

http://www.rupert.net/~mryeburn/crabpic2.jpg

http://www.rupert.net/~mryeburn/crabpic3.jpg

Can't ID it, but have ALWAYS removed red eyed crabs from the main tank.

Looks like a mud crab, no real claws to speak of.

Thanks for the help. So what is the verdict, safe or not for my tank?

Crabs are usually opportunistic, but I still really like them.

The only crab in my reef however is a decorator crab the size of a softball. They pull up the odd zoo and polyp but nothing that is of a concern to me. It certainly is a horrific site by flashlight and I just love her. :biggrin:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/in...swcrabfaqs.htm

Well I posted this on RC for Ron Shimek and he says it is a Xanthid crab which is very destructive. By the way he says it is a female crab.

Unfortunately I will have to execute her.

This is the same Ron that told us all to use deep sand beds, right? :rolleyes: :razz:

Don't kill her, many people have sumps where she will be fine :eek: :evil:

I vote give it aeay to some one for there sump

I agree,give her to someone with a sump.I have at least 2 of these crabs(plus a couple other hitch hiker crabs,and shrimp)and none of them have caused any trouble.