Emerald eating birdsnest

[grzy]

Hi,
I just got a new pink birdsnest and within 30min of me putting it in my tank, my biggest emerald crab came up to it and started picking the flesh off one of the birdsnest tips.
Has anyone else had problems with emeralds doing this to sps? I just got into sps, so I do not have the experience yet.
Also, the emerald crab is a redish/orangish color, not the usual green (If this makes any difference)
Thanks in advance

 

[teen]

its probably not an emerald and its probably not reef safe. have a pic of it?
the coral could be dying and the crab was just attracted by the dead flesh.

 

[katsafados]

or theres algae on it..

 

[fretfreak13]

Yeah, he could be cleaning it.

 

[grzy]

I do not think it was cleaning it, I could not see any algae on it, plus the spot it was "cleaning" it would take the flesh off the birdsnest branch and it would leave the white skeleton. I could see it taking the flesh.
Whether this was a side effect to it trying to clean it, I am not sure.
I am also sure that it is an emerald crab. It has the same "suction cup" looking claws that my green emerald crab has.

 

[grzy]

I will get a pic of this crab and my bleached out/dead birdsnest once I get home tonight and post it.

 

[teen]

more than likely the coral was dying and the crab just came to eat the dead flesh. like i said above.

 

[steelytom]

emerald crabs are not redish/orangish color, they are emerald color. the crab is most likely not a reef safe crab. Get him out.

 

[reefjunkiee]

emeralds are crabs, and like any crab they are opportunists, i do not keep any crab for this very reason. emeralds when large can be very nasty.