Freakin' Crabby Tanks !!

[Beverly]

Tonight I took the flashlight to see what our emerald crab was up to in the 42 gal hex. Found him beneath the acropora, just hanging out doing nothing in particular.

Looked a little further down and found a crab I'd never seen before in a hole munching on what looked like detritus. It was brown and kinda hairy with very slim legs. Didn't look like he was up to anything bad, but still didn't really want him in the tank. Tried the tweezers to get him but he fled deeper into the hole

Looked a little further right, and there was yet ANOTHER CRAB This one had the fateful red eyes and was very stocky, not unlike the first crab I found several weeks ago that got the ROCK. Tried the tweezers on him too, but he was wedged into the tiny hole pretty good. Went to get my back up crab hunting tool, but when I got back he was gone

Okay, so here is the run down of crabs I've found in the 42:

- red eyed crab that no one wanted that got rocked.
- second smaller crab that Quinn took home.
- a crab that accidentally went down the sink from a bucket I'd used to swish the LR in while rearranging the 42.
- a dead crab that fell into the goby's hole under a rock.
- the brown hairy one I found tonight.
- the red eyed one I found tonight.

Then there's the crab sitting on the counter waiting for Quinn to pick up on Saturday that I found in the seahorse tank. I caught that crab by setting a trap and it worked

Thought the trap idea worked so well in the horse tank that I'd set a trap in the 42 as well. Put the not-yet baited glass into the 42. No sooner than I had my hand out of the tank, the spotted hawkfish dove into it. Oh, no, that little beggar would probably eat all the bait but I put the bait in anyway. Minutes later the hawkfish cleaned out the bait while the ocellaris clowns looked on and ate the bait the hawkfish stirred up while in the glass

So. I've got one crabby bunch of tanks here And traps aren't going to work on the most infested tank because of the aggressive fish. GRRRRR!!!

Guess I will have to keep my eyes on that tank and have my tweezers, husband and two flashights going to get these guys. Quinn, you may have to bring more tupperware containers on Saturday At least I hope so

[Chad]

I've been lucky so far. no crabs yet. Tho I have found a snail

[Aquattro]

I see a new crab in my tank every 3 months. Surprises me sometimes to think of all the critters I still haven't seen after 2 years!

[StirCrazy]

Damn send them all out to me.. the mantis would like them

Steve

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

Damn send them all out to me.. the mantis would like them

Oh, Steve

Actually, the Mighty Quinn has been driving up from Red Deer to take the crabs off my hands. He'll be up again on Saturday, the lucky guy.

Since putting such a wide open trap only attracted that dang hawkfish and hangers-on, I'm going to make the opening smaller with Saran Wrap and an elastic and try that tonight Have a funny feeling the hawkfish will knock over the trap, now that I think of his crafty ways Well, I have all day to test hawfish-proof traps

[Quinn]

I was looking at my live rock last night and lo and behold, out of a little whole comes a tiny claw, picking away at hair algae.

Bev hold onto these latest crabs and I'll take them as well.

I should note that the two nudibranchs I thought I'd never see again have been seen twice again so far... I can't believe they haven't been blendered by the powerheads.

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by teevee

I was looking at my live rock last night and lo and behold, out of a little whole comes a tiny claw, picking away at hair algae.

That might be a crab I might keep in the reef

The first crab last night looked like a possible keeper, but I've got a few good growths of hair algae than keeps getting bigger, so it's not eating algae Don't think that crab eats much besides detritus and whatever fish food may come its way.

Originally Posted by teevee

Bev hold onto these latest crabs and I'll take them as well.

If I catch them, they're yours. Will let you know by early Sat. morning so you know how many containers to bring.

Also, you can't leave the containers in your car if it's a warm day and the inside of your car really heats up. The heat will bake them so you're going to have to carry them with you when you go from place to place. Maybe bring a strong bag with handles if you have something like that.

Had to carry around a mouse one day on my errands after I bought it for my snake. Seems kind of a silly thing to do, but hot cars are killers, even if the windows are rolled down a bit. Saw the horrifying results of a dog left in a hot car one time. I was sickened for weeks afterward, and the dog died a hideous, bloody death. The heat expands the blood in the brain and lungs and probably everywhere else, and basically, the animal's organs explode. The dog's owners were charged and convicted with animal cruelty.

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by Beverly

Since putting such a wide open trap only attracted that dang hawkfish and hangers-on, I'm going to make the opening smaller with Saran Wrap and an elastic and try that tonight.

Set the modified, smaller mouthed trap early yesterday. None of the fish took any notice until I baited it. The yellow coris wrasse kept bumping his nose against the glass trying to get at the mysis, but gave up after his nose got sore

Woke up this morning and, behold, a crab caught in the trap. Removed the trap and placed the the crab in a glass of tankwater to have a better look at him. Dang, I'd caught the emerald crab so I put him back into the tank. Hopefully, he will claim another patch of algae to clean up, a patch that includes some of that annoying valonia.

Anyway, saw the evil red eyed crab again last night and tried to catch it with the tweezers, but no luck there. Will bait the trap again tonight. With luck, the emerald crab will be on the other side of the tank and won't be caught again