Predatory Crab

[actionjack]

Hey guys
I have been running a 125g reef tank for close to 2 years now. Recently I added 50 snails to the tank because over the past 2 years my snail population has decreased signifigantly. A few nights ago i turned on my living room light and found a red hairy looking crab holding a snail in his claws. He is about the size of a silver dollar. I dont know how i never noticed him before :notsure:
The past 3 nights i placed a drinking glass with a peice of shrimp in it against a rock, hoping he would crawl in. So far he has eluded my traps and all I caught was emerald crabs. I saw him attemtpting to crawl in a few times, but no luck.
Anyone know of some other ways of catching this guy? Any tips are helpfull. Lots of empty shells all over
Thanks,
ActionJack

 

[actionjack]

I see this site sells fish traps. Anyone have a picture or diagram or how they work? This thing is driving me crazy

 

[actionjack]

bumpity bump
I guess I will lose another snail tonight

 

[lubeck]

Red starry Hermit Crab. You should beable to grab it with some tongs. I don't know how big your tank is but you should just beable to pull it out.
Not a good pic but this guy is HUGE.

 

[actionjack]

Nah, its no hermit. Looks like an emrald crab, just much bigger, fatter and larger claws. If I can get him i can throw him in fuge.

 

[actionjack]

No one has caught a crab before?...Or anyone that can post a pic of the fish traps they sell on this site? This crab is costing me alot of $$$ so I wanna get him out fast.
Thanks,
Action

 

[kpptn]

NET?
Bait him/her out in the open and net em!

 

[actionjack]

I tried...hes slick, he doesnt move far from his hole in the rocks. Bait doesnt seem to be working very well...he is always munching on a snail so hes well fed

 

[squidd]

Kinda like this...but red...?

 

[actionjack]

Originally Posted by Squidd
Kinda like this...but red...?
Pretty much, but the claws are fat. this thing just terrorizes my snails. There is a pile of shells around his hole. Dont need help identifying it... just how to catch the dang thing >.<
Thanks,
ActionJack

 

[squidd]

Raw shrimp tail...tied to fishing line...Let it sit near his home...
When he grabs it they tend to get "possessive" and not let go...
Gentle tug and and he'll pull up with the tail...BUT...will drop off as he gets near the surface, so have a net ready to scoop under him as you pull him loose from rock ....

 

[actionjack]

Ill try that tonight, thanks. :thinking:

 

[shrmnator]

if u know the rock it is hiding in, give it a 1.029 sg salt bath (just that one rock) and it should repell it out! i caught one that was eating nothing but coraline algae before and thats how i did it.. u can then sort thru the little critters as to what u want to keep too!

 

[actionjack]

Originally Posted by shrmnator
if u know the rock it is hiding in, give it a 1.029 sg salt bath (just that one rock) and it should repell it out! i caught one that was eating nothing but coraline algae before and thats how i did it.. u can then sort thru the little critters as to what u want to keep too!

Impossible to do lol. Its one of the big support rocks in the tank, if it goes then i gotta re-arange everything..really dont wanna do that. I just dont know why the drinking glass trick hasnt worked on it... its worked many times in the past. Hes a smart one

 

[murph]

Just dump a bunch of copper into the tank....................errr wait a second that's bad advice. For a minute there I thought I owned a LFS

 

[celacanthr]

Originally Posted by Squidd
Kinda like this...but red...?
WOW, squidd what kind of mithraculus crab is that? It looks like a Mithraculus plueracanthus, but just alot darker, but then again most Mithraculus look identical except for their color.

 

[rick58]

The number of snails seems inline with my experience, are you sure the crab is the culprit and your snail loss isn't due to normal attrition?

 

[actionjack]

Originally Posted by Rick58
The number of snails seems inline with my experience, are you sure the crab is the culprit and your snail loss isn't due to normal attrition?
I see him pulling snails off the rocks and carrying them to his hole. This thing is a monster!

 

[aweo]

just by your description of the claws id think hes eating your snails for sure. Are there crushed shells collecting?
one method ive used is to use a noose made of thicker fishing line. if you can get the loop near him hell grab it in defence....pull and youll get him snagged.

 

[disdominican]

I have the exact same crab in my tank. I currently have no snails and wondered where they would all go. It seems that the same crab is eating my snails also. It looks exactly like an emerald crab but red. Anyone know how to catch him or what he is??