Fat Crab?
 

Last night I saw the infamous Fat Crab front and center in my tank. I reached over to get my digicam, but he scootched behind a rock in a flash.

His body is FAT and ROUND, like a jawbreaker. Looks like it has a belly. About the diameter of a TWOONIE.

Anybody have any idea what kinda crab this is?? All the over ones I've seen are black with hair legs. This guy was sorta white/grey, non-hairy legs.

Xanthid rock crab would be my guess. I have at least a dozen of them in one of my tanks, ranging in size of 1/2" to a really big fat sucker around 2.5".

Here's a picture of the big one (I've since caught him and threw him in my sump -- doesn't really matter though as I have .. well .. about another 11 in the main tank! :( argh.)

http://members.shaw.ca/hobiesailor/a...c/xanthid1.jpg

Hey.... yeah that sorta resembles the one I have!

I've seen him twice now, and both times he was on the sandbed. Do these guys just eat algae?

Cuz I've also been losing zoos the past few months, and I'm wondering if this guy has been picking at them (cuz I've had my zoo rocks on the sand).... My zoos would sometimes be 'clear cut' overnight.

HAHA, Tony has crabs. :mrgreen:

Ohhhhh ... they most assuredly do not just eat algae. I lost almost my entire collection of zoos overnight before discovering this crab ... You can pretty much bet the farm that your crab there is responsible for your zoos disappearing.

Yeah, ah, er, um ... :redface: wha-wha-what????

Honestly how does one rid themselves of that many pest crabs anyhow (out of a "reef tank" -- just thought it would be important to specify that explicitly..)? That's why I was asking about triggers and eels about a week ago. The octopus suggestion was pretty neat but I don't think I'm capable of taking care of one of those properly so that's out.