Emerald Crabs

[infalable]

I have always had scarlet and blue legg hermits. Last night I added an emerald crab. He started chowing on sme bubble algae and other algea from the moment he was put in the tank. He doesnt seem to bother with anyone else. Since the hemits always fight would could I add emeralds. I just added 20 Nessarious snails as well. Since I often have to replace livestock due to the carnage between hermits and other snails, I was thinking that emeralds might be a good substitute. Any thoughts?

 

[buzz]

I would honestly leave it at 1 emerald in that tank. Hermits and nassarious eat different things. All are good to have, but emeralds get bigger, and can sometimes turn kind of nasty. If that happens, they could start chowing down on fish, etc. Just keep an eye on it.

 

[fishman830]

uh oh i got 2 in my tank!

 

[fishman830]

im beggining to hate blue leg hermits, all they do is kill each other, everyday i see a leg here.. a claw there

 

[infalable]

Thanks Buzz. I will hold with one and see what happens. I can always add another as I get more experience with them. Fish's comment is my sentimate as well. Not that I hate them, but wish the could last ba day with out a battle.

 

[theplowking]

I have three Emerald crabs in my 55. They don't seem to bother the other inverts. They are great algae cleaners.
I agree with the Blue and Red Reefs Hermits. I had about 40 (20+20) in my tank at one time. Then the Crips and Bloods started gang banging. I have about 15 Blue and 10 Reds left. Plus some seem to be sporting new snail shells they car jacked from my Turbos.
It think the odds are the Blues will win the turf war.

 

[fireo1o]

i have a emerald in my 20, he is awesome and i love him but i wouldnt put more than 1 or 2, they may take over ur tank and eat fish,not always but that threats always there

 

[rwhite]

Well, we have a Sally and I'd say about 10-15 Blue Legs and maybe the same amount of snails. Until I actually saw the largest Blue picking at a smaller one, we weren't sure what was happening to the hermits. Needless to say, he was quickly banished. Sally doesn't seem to bother anyone unless they get a little too close, but normally takes off in another direction. Just curious, I knoe theres a ratio of hermits to gallons etc. , but wouldn't smaller populations be the way to go? Less competition and so on. After the "banishment" I dont see carcasses anymore. And, whether you have a fuge or macro in your tank, dosen't that help keep microalgae growth down? Thus precipitating less of a pop. of hermits and snails. I understand that they are very essential, but I havent had to replace too much livestock recently except those lost in battle and snails that cant right themselves before the shrimp find an easy meal. I'd love to hear more about this.

 

[urchin]

That's one of the most interesting things in the reef tank, survival of the fitest, and you snooze you might lose..I have brittle stars and serpent stars in my 180, and you can bet on one thing. If a fish dies, or any creature, there won't be a body to recover in the morning... Just recently, I nuked my tank for flatworms and one of my damselfish didn't survive the fowl conditions..He was looking pretty pale. I happen to see him laying on the bottom, and the serpent star was trying to grab him even before he was down..I had a beautiful shrimp, grew to about 3 in..huge wisker spread, one morning no sign of him at all..never a trace, not even a wisker..mysteries never cease.. :yes:

 

[gatorcsm]

I have 3 in my 90g and they've never bothered anything. They're great algae cleaners, and I don't think they could really move fast enough to catch 95% of the fish that we keep. They've put there claws out at my purple tang, but he doesn't seem to be too scared of their 1/4" arms...

 

[dugan]

Mine will occasionally wave his claws at other fish/hermits but I've never seen him do anything. He talks the talk but he doesn't walk the walk. He IS the only emerald in there but I've kept 2 in my old 58 w/o a problem.
Katie

 

[krishj39]

I've never had any problems with emerald crab's behavior, the problem I have is they always die on me. I have never been able to keep emeralds or sallys alive for more than a few months. Or peppermint shrimp, actually. All other animals are fine, I've had many types of snails, crabs and shrimp alive in the tank since it was first setup, but those three animals always seem to die off in my tank. Weird.

 

[fishman830]

mine stay to themselves, never bother anyone but stick their arms out when they see my hand, and despite all the empty shells i have in my tank the blue's still have the need to kill somone for their shell
:happyfish