Emerald crab problem

[museumgirl]

I just got some new stuff in my tank including 2 emerald crabs as part of a cleaning crew. I also got 2 feather dusters. After a couple of days I saw that one of my crabs was picking at the tube of my duster!

It looked like he was eating the little pieces he was picking. Are they not compatible?? Help!

 

[lradlbeck]

My emerald crabs also pick at the feather duster pieces that are hanging (just the brown papery part) but so far all feather dusters are alive and well (about 3 months)
Good Luck!
Liz

 

[mudplayerx]

He is more than likely pulling algae off of the tube and eating it.

 

[ou_snr_fn]

i also got 2 emerold crabs with my clean up crew and they caused me nothing but trouble.

they first ate a couple of my hermit crabs

then on the 3rd night they had a 20 dollar cleaner shrimp for dinner so my best advice is to do what i did and get rid of em if thats not an option ya are willing to do then god luck

 

[1journeyman]

Weird.. I wonder if there are sub-species of Emerald crabs.
People seem to really have different experiences with them.

 

[museumgirl]

Well- since I took the one feather duster out things seem to be ok. Neither of the crabs have bothered the other feather duster, but I'm wondering now that my tank is so clean and the cleaning crew has gotten rid of all of the algae are they going to start looking for more to eat? I put in an extra cube of bloodworms (weekly treat) and I saw them chowing down on some of those. Hopefully they'll eat that kind of stuff and not pick on anybody else.

 

[mudplayerx]

My guess is your emerald crabs found the other critters already dead...but I guess anything can happen if they were hungry enough and not getting the food they needed.