Would you keep one and why?
Emerald crabs....would you keep one?
- Thread starter porpoiseaquatics
- Start date
Why are we all up after 4am..
Iv had an emerald and I now keep a red Mithraculus crab , very cool to see its camo to the rocks so I don't see it a lot without searching , but I see it far more than my pom pom crabs.
It's a crab that said it will eat dead stuff like any , but his claws have no power iv purposely let them pinch me . There non aggressive and just pick algae and small debree/detrite's from the live rock. There way more peaceful than hermits.
Iv had an emerald and I now keep a red Mithraculus crab , very cool to see its camo to the rocks so I don't see it a lot without searching , but I see it far more than my pom pom crabs.
It's a crab that said it will eat dead stuff like any , but his claws have no power iv purposely let them pinch me . There non aggressive and just pick algae and small debree/detrite's from the live rock. There way more peaceful than hermits.
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yup i had a huge bubble algae outbreak in my sump/frag tank recently and i put one emerald in there and within a month and a half to two months it was 99% gone. there is a bubble here and there but nothing compared to what it used to be. and he hasnt hurt or picked at any of my frags.
I had some emerald's in past tanks for bubble algae. They are crabs and crabs are opportunist scavengers. That's why I don't currently have any. I had a diamond goby fall victim to an emerald crab. The emerald decided the gobies cave looked good. The next morning the goby was crab food. My guess is he got him while he slept. As my hermits die off they don't get replaced either. My CUC is going to be all snail soon.
I'm not saying all emerald crabs are bad. They have their place. But personally, I'm not a fan.
I'm not saying all emerald crabs are bad. They have their place. But personally, I'm not a fan.
I love my female emerald, they clean 24/7, I have never had any problems with them. Holley 
seth the wine guy
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I'm with Rit. I keep about 20 in my tank. Usually all females. I did get one male by accident and he has gotten quite large. They are great for keeping the rocks clean and very effective against bubble algae. Only complaint is they will live in my acro colonies and eat the real acro crabs.
But since I don't have bubble or hair algae and as noted above....they have to eat. The one I have is most probably male because he's BIG! Given that I have a really nice acro crab in the tank already....this one is probably going to go.
I had some bubble algae, in my little 8g nano, added one emerald, its not green, its a tan/grey color, and the smallest emerald I've ever seen. She's about 1" across, and destroys bubble algae. Doesn't cause any problems. Looks cool.
I've seen some big ugly hairy emeralds though. Wouldn't want one of those
Edit:
she eats everything I feed
I've seen some big ugly hairy emeralds though. Wouldn't want one of those
Edit:
she eats everything I feed
I had two, thought they died and discovered one alive and well last night, seems they do a great job tricking you when they molt.
In the several months that I have had them I have not noticed any problems. I wish I had known that they would get after hair algae several months ago when I had a problem in a smaller tank.
In the several months that I have had them I have not noticed any problems. I wish I had known that they would get after hair algae several months ago when I had a problem in a smaller tank.
I had three emerald, finally after moths I only found 2, I didn't add them because I had an issue with algae, but after seeing one munching in a rock with some hair algae I tough it was doing good, and I only assume that hair algae to my lack of maintenance, but still keeping good with the 2 emerald was good for leftovers, only issue having them starving (I guess) was when I used to spot feeding my Duncan c. And watching the emeral stealing the food from the Duncan mouth, I was even able to feed the emeralds with that little feeding syringe that I had, funny to watch 
I've always had emeralds. They are very entertaining to watch. Mine eat any food I've put in the tank.
Now mine are not really big, guess the could be dangerous e if there too big! But I enjoy watching them.
First dibs if you don't want it )
Now mine are not really big, guess the could be dangerous e if there too big! But I enjoy watching them.
First dibs if you don't want it )
supermancrv
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I like to have one or two in my tank. They do a great job and I've never seen them bother anything. They also eat anything I put in the tank that happens past them.
Emerald crabs are awesome! They are one of the most important members of my clean-up crew. They eat bubble algae, clean my rocks, and scavenges the bottom for food. They do not bother any of my corals. I would recommend at least one for every 10 to 15 gallons. They are also fun to watch.
Jeff, I have two of them and they are awesome. At night they come out from their caves on the bottom to the top levels of the reef and pick at small patches of algae. So far they have been entertaining and beneficial.
