Took Biff's advice

[Melonbob]

Picked up an emerald crab today. I have no reason for posting this other than I haven't posted today and feel incomplete. Now I can go to bed.....

BTW Biff, the little guy is a pig, started picking away at rock right off the bat.

 

[MikMcgyver]

They are funny to watch, since I tossed the one in my 125 I have yet to see him,prolly dead since I didnt acclimate him, he was on a rock that I took from my 12 gallon to the 125..

Didn't see him till I set the rock down, he jumped ship and took off too fast.. Think he flipped me off too.. Couldnt tell, water was cloudy... :)

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah they are cool little crabs. Don't be surprised when you start finding little "emerald bodies" around your tank, it's probably just him molting. They do a number on algae too. Excellent cleaners.

 

[Melonbob]

Just so I get this one more time....Snails, Crabs, Shrimp, nothing counts against your bioload other than fish? What about stars etc?

 

[Bifferwine]

Nah stars don't count either. Inverts don't count.

 

[Doc]

anything that creates significant waste will count toward bioload. tiny critters just don't make enough water to effect nitrates.

-Doc

 

[Namor]

So what if you have no fish? Is the lack of their nitrates a problem?

 

[MikMcgyver]

You tank will be more balanced with a couple of fish swimmim around. Closer to nature and all...

 

[Namor]

So Bif, if inverts don't count, do octo's count :)

 

[Melonbob]

Little bastard attacked on of my snails, I had to break it up like a referee.....

 

[Bifferwine]

LOL... I feel bad about the title of the thread now. Sorry. They shouldn't attack snails!!!

 

[Melonbob]

Ah....just teasin, it happens. I broke them up and we'll see if it happens again. I should have paid more attention cause one of the snails has about six little bubbles of green algae on his back....

 

[reeffreak]

Wait til that emerald gets bigger and starts lunging at your fish.Mine tries,just not quite fast enough to catch one just yet.

 

[Bifferwine]

It takes a long time for emeralds to get big enough to go after fish. Like, years. I've never had that problem with them.

 

[sasscuba]

I will never add another crab to my reef ever! Had an emerald that grew to 2 inches across and pick on everything including corals. Mine snapped off pieces of motipora plate he was so strong. They are not 100% reef safe in some cases. I watched him snap and pinch fish that got near him. Caught him and got him out. Snails and shrimps are the only clean-up crew I will have in my tank.

 

[Doc]

i still have my fingers crossed about my emeralds. I do agree about hermits. I might toss in a blue-legged hermit, but not any others. I took them all back to the LFS

-Doc

 

[bjohanson1234]

I hate blue leg hermit crabs!!!!

They prefer snail meat to anything else. They gang up on nasarius snails when they come out to eat during feeding time. Leaving the nice chunks of frozen fish food alone. Also I had tons of shells in the tank for them.

Just my:twocents:

Brian

 

[Doc]

huh, I have not had trouble with my blue-legs in my tanks. The black-legged ones tend to be bastards!

-Doc

 

[hibye]

i keep the blue,white,and normal reef ones and havent had a problem yet.i did have the scarlet ones atack some corals