Information on Sally lightfoot crabs?????

[julie853]

I am planning on purchasing a reef package cleaning crew and am concerned about the Sally lightfoot crab that comes in this package.I've heard that they can be very agressive and attack fish does anyone have them in there tank that could give me some info on them??
I have an 80 gallon with a maroon clown and a yellow blenny and a yellow tang.
I dont want this crab if it's going to be a problem.
Thanks

 

[cannonman]

I've had them before, don't now. I never had a problem with one while small and young but they don't stay that way for long.. I don't think they would bother the fish you mentioned there but..... you never know.

 

[jbatjr]

I have had one for over a year and a half now and let me say, HE IS LEAVING MY TANK. For the past year I have had a few fish vanish from my tank with absolutly no trace. After waiting months for my dwarf lion I come down 2 days later in the morning to see my sallyfoot eating it!!!!

And the kicker was I just fed the sallyfoot that night. Mine also was a fast grower as well too I got him small about 1 inch leg to leg and he is about 5-6 now.
Good Luck

 

[30-xtra high]

jbat,no offense... but thats bull, a sallylightfoot couldn't kill a venomous lion
the lion died from something else, and the sally saw the dead carcass on the ground, and went for it., or the lion was so unhealthy the sally thought it was dead... i hate when people acuse something because they see it eat it. it's the same thing with coral banded shrimp. they eat a dead body when they see it and they get seen eating the dead body and everybody thinks they killed it. unless you have a first hand view of the animal kill the fish, the chances are it didn't.
julie, i don't have a sally, but my lfs has them in with lil clowns, mandarins, and other lil fish, and they're fine, the sally's have 2-3 inch legs, and they're fine. i'd say it'd be fine in an 80 as long as you don't completely starve it.

 

[memphis]

I have a Sally and it by far has the most personality in the tank. It will motor away from anything that gets close to it and is in no way aggressive. It is always out picking things out of the sand and off the rocks and it is fast as lightning. My coral banded is much more of bully. Heck the Sally is so cool when it goes across my zo's they don't even close...

 

[gatorwpb]

My sally has grown considerably since I got him. He is very active.
His claws are so small, I dont see how he could attack a fish unless the fish is already sick or dead.

 

[julie853]

Thanks for the replys.Do they really reach a length of six inches??I thought they would only reach maybe three inches.

 

[30-xtra high]

yea, they can reach 5-6 inches from leg to leg, but they're really slender. and they're low lieing. they're only about 1/2 inch high., if my pet store gets any anytime soon i'll definatly be getting one., memphis, is the sally ok with your cbs? i have a 3 inch cbs in my 30 right now.

 

[deadmanschest]

ive heard stories of slf crabs attacking fish but i dont know if they are true. I would watch any fish that stay close to the ground to be safe. (gobies,mandarins,scooter blenny) but other wise i say they are fine.

 

[katz]

I had one, until I personaly saw him grab my new $40 dollar Black and White Clown. He killed him. When I purchased him he was a baby and six months later he killed my clown. My LFS puchased him from me and I was very happy to see him go.
Katz

 

[memphis]

Originally Posted by 30-xtra high
yea, they can reach 5-6 inches from leg to leg, but they're really slender. and they're low lieing. they're only about 1/2 inch high., if my pet store gets any anytime soon i'll definatly be getting one., memphis, is the sally ok with your cbs? i have a 3 inch cbs in my 30 right now.

yeah... anything gets close to him and he is off like a shot. The funniest thing is when it is feeding time he will climb on the highest rock and dive for whatever I put in the tank. I want 50 of em...