Little crab on my coral

[oz]

I think I know the answer but wanted confirmation before I yank this guy out.....there is a little dime sized crab with beady little eyes and black tipped claws on my coral. He seems to have a hairy texture and is light in color. He looks like he's cleaning the coral but is he really eating it?

 

[wable]

Hey Chris, You Still Have That Light For Sale?

 

[oz]

which one? just got rid of the sunpod last week and Sal is heading this way for the 6 footer. I can't believe it but I am almost out of all unused stuff.

 

[wable]

That Would Be A Yes On The Sunpod.

 

[oz]

already gone, sorry. now someone comment on this mystery crab!

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Yank him... Hairy claws, black tips and beady eyes = pretty bad most of the time. Better to be safe then sorry.

 

[oz]

Here he is.....he's out.

 

[tim8111]

could have been an acro crab was he living in a colony and if so for how long?

 

[oz]

yes and for weeks. are they cool with acro or do they eat acro?

 

[tim8111]

if he was on the coral for weeks and the coral was not damaged it was a good acro crab that helps to protects the colony.

I have a birds nest and a montipora confusa in stock with one in each of them.

 

[oz]

i heard the hairy little crabs are bad for corals.

 

[tim8111]

ChrisOzment;168155 wrote: i heard the hairy little crabs are bad for corals.

I have seen some that are hairy and lived in coral for months with no issue. My rule is, if it is eating the coral remove it, if it is not let it stay. just my rule though. I used to yank everything I didn't put in my tanks out when I first started in the hobby, now I am the opposite.

 

[oz]

He seems to be picking from the polyps but not necessarily damaging the polyps. so I guess he's ok and he's eating the debris and such. He always stays on this 1 acro and is always there so he'll be easy to catch if I leave him in. This colony was expensive so I might put him in my kitchen tank.

 

[calireefer]

Hey is the crab still alive? I want it.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Commensal acro crabs would never get dime sized. As a general rule of thumb (by no means absolute)- If its hairy, or has black pinchers, or has blue eyes, its a problem. I wouldnt destroy him necessarily, but I also wouldnt house him in my reef tank.

 

[calireefer]

Before you decide to get rid of it here's an article. It won't help to identify it though.

http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1023-ucsb.html">http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1023-ucsb.html</a>

If you do decide to evict it, I'll come pick it up.

 

[oz]

I wouldn't kill him. I put him in my cube - no corals in there right now. He's chillin.