What's picking at my Xenias & polyps?

crazyzeus1

crazyzeus1

Member
OK...we have 3 Camel Back shrimp that we're currently trying to fish-trap since I thought they were the culprit...my three Xenia stalks are almost completely picked free of their "fingers" on each "head".
But then last night, for the 2nd time, we saw one of our biggest emarald crabs picking at the heads of the closed up Xenias.
Could he be eating them? If that's the case, does that mean there's not enough algae for him to eat? I have algae tablets that I add here & there, but our tank really has no algae growth anywhere, and we have a a number of crabs, hermits, snails, etc...
Our LFS said they have never heard of a Emarald doing this, but maybe???
Any ideas?
 
thegrog

thegrog

Active Member
IMO, emerald crabs are not truely reef safe. doubt it is your shrimp.
List what else you have in the tank. My Coral beauty polished off a xenia colony that I traded for....but has left every other coral alone.
 
crazyzeus1

crazyzeus1

Member
We have:
2 Green Chromis
2 Cleaner Shrimp
2 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Coral Banded Shrimp
3 tiny Camel Back Shrimp
2 Brittle Starfish (brown colored)
2 white Porcelain/Anemone Crabs
8 Porcelain Crabs
A bunch of Emarald Crabs
Hermits, Snails
1 Turbo? Snail (he's really big...about the size of a lime)
 
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