Good Crab, Bad Crab?
 

So what should I do with this guy? His body's size is between a dime and a nickel. Do I relegate him to the sump, refugium or toilet?
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/d...c/IMGP0855.jpg

I am currently battling a few crabs alot bigger then that one. I am planning on putting them into the refugium with a few other hitchhiker crabs when I catch them.

I figure that the only reason that they are in the tank is because I put them there, thus I have a responsibility for their survival.

In the refugium they have no opportunity to get back into the display, and can do nothing but feed on algae and detris that makes its way into the sump.

I can't ID him for you but looking at his pinchers I'm leaning towards "bad". Like Todd posted, I always put hitchhikers in my sump/fuge. If that's what you do just make sure he can't make his way to your return pump and get sucked in.

HTH

I had a crab identical to that in my old 36 gallon reef.
I wound up losing a leather and 3 fish to it, I actually saw this thing drop from a LR overhang onto a blackray shrimp gobie and clamp on with those legs so the fish could not get away and then used it's claws to finish the job.
It was insane to watch but I was shocked at how vicious a little crab can be and from that point, I NEVER give any crab the benefit of the doubt.

The one you have pictured looks so much like the one I had taken pics of though I can not positively say it is identical but it does look similiar enough for me to chime in....


Cheers.

I have one of those too, but much bigger. He lives in a drilled out pop bottle and gets food when the fishes get fed. Eventually he is heading to the sump/fuge.

Thanks everyone.

WhatIgot: Hmm maybe that's why, at two seperate times, my mimic tangs disappeared. The b.s.a.d!!!

There is a bigger crab still lurking. Saw him skitter last night, thats why I set the trap.
Anyone got a fool-proof crab trap design?
Thanks

i hear a vase works well if bottlenecked in the middle/ top. wide mouth narrow passage and wide bottom. bait the bottom.