recomended crab for a 29 gallon reef tank

[n_sarno]

I have a 29 gallon reef tank with about 40 lbs of LR.. 30 lbs of LS
Finger Coral
Zoos
Ricordia
Mushrooms
Hairy Mushrooms
hammer coral
xenia
devils hand coral
leather coral
plate coral
and I think thats it
as far as fish I have
Bangaii(SP) cardinal
Small yellow tang (my LFS sold it to my cousin for his 12 gallon nano so i took it for my tank until my stand is finished I will have my 125 cycling)
2 3 stripe damsels
1 blue damsel
1 clarkii clown
about 7 blue leg hermit crabs
2 Peppermint shrimp
1 serpent star fish
1 long spine sea urchin
My question is what kind of crab could I get that would be safe for my tank and not hurt anyone?
Im thinking maybe a sally lightfoot and or a porcelin crab or two, but I am not at all familiar with crabs. Please let me know of any suggestions.. maybe one that is more visable.. I would like to possibly have 2 crabs or more... and I DO NOT WANT the arrow crabs those freak me out!
Thanks

 

[n_sarno]

My LFS is selling crabs that look like these https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ot_parent_id=4
however they are blue/black and they are calling them anemone crabs I really like this variety.. they ahve the little filter feeder thing I can see it on them.. I think they just might be nicer colored then the ones on here.

 

[alyssia]

I have those porcelain crabs, they are cool but they hide almost all the time. Boxing crabs are neat too, but they also hide. I think most crabs do.

 

[bang guy]

Porcelain Crabs or Acropora Crabs are the only ones safe for your tank in my opinion. An Emerald Crab or a Sally Lightfoot will "probably" be ok but they are not 100% safe.

 

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
Porcelain Crabs or Acropora Crabs are the only ones safe for your tank in my opinion. An Emerald Crab or a Sally Lightfoot will "probably" be ok but they are not 100% safe.
My sallylightfoot went munching on my button polyps immediately and I dont mean just eating around them but tearing them apart. everybody said they were 100% safe. He went back to the pet store the same day. Emerald didn't eat any corals but would spend alot of time crawling all around them to eat around the base. All I have now are hermits.

 

[max22]

go with the porcelin or anenome crab. Emeralds and sally lightfoots can sometimes be terrors to a reef.

 

[alyssia]

Yes, I have heard many negative things about sallys and emeralds.

 

[sufunk]

our emerald was great for like 3 months then all of a sudden he got hungry i guess and in 2 days ate or destroyed like 15 yellow polyps . He went to the lfs the next day. nothing but hermits for me from now on

 

[hottie79]

My two emeralds so far do nothing by fight with each other in a 30 gallon. They want to be in the same spot on a pc of live rock, even though I now have almost 30 pounds of LR, they want the SAME damn spot.

 

[jhov2324]

my friend has an anemone crab, as soon as he put it in, it killed his coral banned shrimp

 

[n_sarno]

yikes.. so that eliminates just about everyone.. lol
i find it so weird how all these places say they are reef safe but yet they arent ususally..
very strange.
any more suggestions, comments or experiences?

 

[n_sarno]

maybe i will go w/ a coral banded shrimp.. would that be ok?
They look like they could do some damage though! lol

 

[jrmafia90]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
Porcelain Crabs or Acropora Crabs are the only ones safe for your tank in my opinion. An Emerald Crab or a Sally Lightfoot will "probably" be ok but they are not 100% safe.
Have to agree

 

[n_sarno]

Ok, the porcelin crabs do they come in like a blue/black w/ white stripe pattern? Because stores by me sell porcelin crabs but they dont look brown/redish like they do here on SWF.com
please advise

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by Jhov2324
my friend has an anemone crab, as soon as he put it in, it killed his coral banned shrimp

I have an anemone crab and it never bothers anything, and never,ever,ever leaves it's anemone.

 

[n_sarno]

I just went out and got 2 porcelain crabs.. one is like in the pictures on SWF.com and the other is blackish purple w/ stripes.. I will take photos before I add them to the tank. They are pretty cool LITTLE guys and boy do I mean little.. AND I just looked at the receipt and they only charged me for one crab, so I called and they said dont worry about it, their mistake, I win
Pretty cool so I got two for the price of one $7.49
saaaaaaweeet

 

[n_sarno]

Sorry the photo is kind of poor.. but you can see them both.. it was hard to take a pic through glass and through the bag

 

[alyssia]

Nice...they are cool crabs, I just wish mine would come out once in a while.

 

[n_sarno]

Yea, I figure I'll probably never see them again but hey.. why not throw them in there!
The darker one is a porcelian crab also right?
They are SOOO tiny like the size of a dime!
so cute

 

[alyssia]

They are both porcelains. They are very cute! If you look at your tank with a flashlight at night you might be able to find where they hide. That's how I get to look at mine.