emerald crabs mating?

[browniebuck]

Was watching television the other day and noticed some strange movement in my tank, so I looked closer. I saw my largest emerald crab and one of the smaller ones locked together...I thought originally that the larger one was going to kill the other until I got a little closer and watched for a while. They were mating (or at least "practicing"). I felt kinda bad because I couldn't find my Marvin Gaye CD to help set the mood for them...but they didn't really seem to mind...

My questions are...
1. Does anyone have successful experience in breeding emeralds?
2. How long should it be before I start looking for little emeralds?
3. Has anyone else ever witnessed this before?

 

[vinny p]

i herd it's common for the to mate.

 

[browniebuck]

Is there anything that I need to do for them to have a chance at survival?
My tank has 2 perculas, a punctato butterfly, and a green mandarin. My inverts are three emeralds, nassarius snails, a few margarita snails, and a couple of blue leg hermits. The tank is a 55 that has been up and running for over 2 years now.

 

[browniebuck]

anyone?

 

[dustyboy316]

I saw my emeralds do the same thing but I think they just got tangled.
The 1 is really big and 1 is really small, but I have no idea if they are male/female.

 

[browniebuck]

I got down close, they weren't tangled....you could see the "junk" of the big one on top, while the one on the bottom had the bottom of the shell flipped out (similar to when they molt). They were entwined for a few minutes and then the big one went one way and the smaller one went under a rock.